BY MICHAEL ROBINSON


On the way to Accompong, Jamaica's largest Maroon settlement, the plains of St Elizabeth give way to lush greens and cleaner air. Birdcalls float lazily across open valleys. Small houses pepper the undulating hillside as the smell of a wood fire wafts in through the window. Narrow roads echo a time when the trails only allowed foot traffic. This terrain is a national treasure, as are the people who live here, shrouded in myth and mystery for centuries, teeming with stories and secrets.

Refuge to many species of indigenous plant and animal life, Jamaica's Cockpit Country is an oasis where rivers are born; an Eden where food and medicines grow right up from the earth. It is home to an indomitable people whose lives are intertwined with the land that keeps them safe and fed. Descendants of Africa's western tribes, our guides speak proudly of a time when Maroon territory stretched from "coast to coast".

The panoramic countryside seems far more suited to hikes and birdwatching than to a 100-year war. Yet here we stand on a former battlefield, overlooking rolling hills that have been paid for with blood, sweat and tears. Big Ground is a large hilly clearing where the Maroons would meet the Redcoats as they came up attacking from the valley below. The view is breathtaking.
The area was dubbed "The Cockpits" by British pilots after the popular animal fighting rings in 17th century England. Over millennia, water has worn away the limestone beneath the soil, creating a series of hills and sinkholes in the egg-carton pattern distinctive of Jamaica's hilly interior. Erosion has also carved out a labyrinth of hundreds of caves from the thick limestone layer under the soil. The guides regale us with descriptions of Windsor and Yellow Caves and many more available for exploration- some with huge underground pools.

Caving will have to wait though. Today we're hiking to Peace Cave, a pivotal spot in the Maroon war. Also known as "Ambush", it is the spot where the Maroons staged a surprise attack on the British troops of such magnitude that it precipitated the talks, which led to the signing of the peace treaty. Maroon historians say the signing took place inside the cave walls and was sealed with a blood oath.

Peace Cave is about 45 minutes hike from Accompong. Although labeled 'strenuous' in the brochure, the walk is brisk and invigorating. Clad in long pants and a strong lightweight pair of (non-slippery!) shoes, I am able to enjoy the history and botany lessons from tour guides Bobby and Dads while managing to keep up with them. The trek takes us from grassy hills strewn with beds of ground provisions to thick forests teeming with plant life.

The cave itself is a small tunnel cave beside a narrow trail. In 1738 two Maroon warriors were stationed here to observe the progress of a large detachment of British troops on the way to attack Captain Kojo's Old Town. When they had all passed, the sound of the abeng from Peace Cave brought down a deadly avalanche on the surprised troops. Two Redcoats were spared to return tell the story. In response, an English envoy was sent to negotiate peace.

The unique topography of the Cockpits is the perfect environment for some specialized types of flora and fauna. As a result, the 430 km2 area contains 1,500 types of plants, 400 of which can only be found in Jamaica and over 100 of which are endemic to Cockpit Country. Bobby, and Dads point out countless plants as well as the many ailments they are known to cure.

The ecological significance of the area is unquestionable, particularly to people who have lived in this land of wood and water for over 500 years. Scores of Maroon settlements abound throughout the periphery, with tours and accommodations to be had at many of these locations. Most of the region remains uncharted, but the Maroons know their land. They point out settlements like "Land of Look Behind" in the distance. While the exact outer boundaries are currently in question due to politics and land ownership issues, the Cockpit region is mapped as part of six parishes: Trelawny, St James, St Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon and St Ann, almost half of it labeled National Forest Reserve. According to the treaty, it is actually sovereign territory surrounded by these parishes.

Big Ground is also home to Kindah, a huge cotton tree that once served as a meeting place for the elders. Resting here at the end of the walk, we sit on the same rocks used by the Maroon leadership of centuries past. Today, the leaders still have battles to contend with.

The geology of the Cockpit Country has attracted significant international attention, some of it not good. Besides limestone, the area is known to contain bauxite deposits and might even hold oil.

In 2004, the Jamaican government issued bauxite prospecting licenses to multi-national bauxite mining companies, eager to exploit the mineral-rich soil that has formed an integral part of Jamaica's export earning for almost a century. Initially, there was little activity, but before long, communities began reporting visits from bauxite company representatives, who managed to woo some residents to sell out their lands. By some reports, the bauxite companies began tasting success, and in villages like Sawyers, once a lively close-knit community, empty homes awaiting bulldozers send ominous messages to the remaining residents.

Last year the licenses expired, and as the government signaled its intention to renew them, the announcement caused a major outcry by environmentalists worldwide, and from the local people.

In Accompong, the elected head of the Maroons, Colonel Sidney Peddie identified this development as merely another phase in the Maroons's struggle, a struggle that continues in a new form.

"We are all for progress," he says, referring to Maroon adaptations in a changing time, including cell phones, cars and computers, "But they should leave the land alone." In his opinion, any financial gain possible for the community would be greatly outweighed by the detrimental environmental, possibly even cultural, effects.

(Under pressure from activists, the government recently indefinitely postponed its plan to continue prospecting bauxite in the Cockpit Country.)


Minerals aside, the Cockpit Country represents an incredible trove of ecological gems. It is home to the only known viable population of Giant Swallowtail butterfly-the largest of its kind in the Americas. It houses almost all of Jamaica's endemic bird population (27 species!) including 95% of the population of the endangered black-billed parrot. It supports four endemic species of frog, two of which are common only to the Cockpits.

And that's just a piece of the picture.

It is clear that the relationship between the Maroons and the land is an intricate mix of heritage, culture and survival. Theirs is a claim to the land that stretches back to Jamaica's first inhabitants, the Taino. When the English chased the Spaniards out in 1655, the first Maroons to take to the hills lived among the Taino already there.

Late afternoon we return to town and all is relatively quiet as is usually the case here. At Accompong, like other settlements, changing times have seen some Maroons venture outside to seek work. Still others have turned to more entrepreneurial means of survival. Bed & Breakfasts are a growing business, particularly on January 6 every year when they celebrate Kojo's birthday and the signing of the peace treaty. Last year's celebrations received 25,000 visitors, according to Col. Peddie, including Maroon and state officials from such countries as Suriname and Ghana.

Then it's not so quiet.

People flock to Jamaica's largest Maroon settlement from all over the world to observe traditional drumming, dancing and to sample traditional foods. The reason, says Col. Peddie, is that having been inspired by the lives of a warrior people, they want to experience the energy for themselves.

The guides share stories about meeting people who, on learning their Maroon identity, look at them in disbelief. Some have trouble letting go of the "duppy" (ghost) stories they've heard about the appearance of authentic Maroons.

In the past, it gave the Maroons a psychological advantage to have their foes consider them mysterious and fearsome. The story of the "rolling calf", a mystical horned creature dragging his cow chain through the dark night, scared many slaveholders in their beds so they wouldn't look outside to see the shackled slave crossing their yard during escape. Those stories, some originated by Maroons, still persist today.

"I've met people who think we have tails," laughed Bobby, joined by the other guides. There are tales of Maroons being able to disappear. They also spoke of a well-known myth portraying Maroons as being pitch black with fiery red eyes. Some visitors come out of curiosity. The return visitors have discovered a magical countryside and some good oldfashioned Jamaican hospitality.

Myths aside, Maroon culture is heavily influenced by three major religious forms that crossed the seas with early Africans: Zion, Pocomania and Myal. The traditional practices persisted-practiced in secret or disguised as other rituals-in spite of attempts at conversion evidenced by the Presbyterian Church near the town centre.

Ancient practices and strong cultural retention lead to many believing in the power of the "science" practiced here. To this day, some folks travel great distances "to get science," according to Dads. Many come to have illnesses cured, solve problems or get in touch with relatives who have passed away.

For visitors and outsiders, Maroons and the Cockpits mean different things. For some, the people and the land are national treasures to be preserved at all costs for generations to come. For others, the land represents opportunities for financial gain. Others just "love the vibe." The reasons are many, but the value is undeniable.

For the Maroons, this land is life and freedom.