TRANSITION from the TRIO WAY of LIFE Mirella Nankoe1
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Academic Journal, 2019, 10, 34-53 Sociologie , full article FROM NOMADS TO SEDENTARY VILLAGE RESIDENTS: TRANSITION FROM THE TRIO WAY OF LIFE Mirella Nankoe1 ABSTRACT --- This article describes the initiation of the Baptist Mission and interaction between the Trio tribes and the Baptist mission in the interior of Suriname. The Trio led a nomadic and self- sufficient life in harmony with nature as agriculturalists, hunters and gatherers prior to the arrival of the Baptist mission in the sixties of the last century. The Baptist mission had a significant effect in reshaping the social, cultural, economic and demographic landscape of the Trio during the first two decades of their presence. The most obvious effect was the transformation of the Trio settlement patterns. Missionary activities included evangelization, spiritual guidance, literacy and health care. The interaction between the Trio and the missionaries gradually changed from a hostile attitude and aloofness to acceptance. Keywords: Trio, Wayana, West Indies Mission, evangelization, demographics, Suriname interior 1 Institute for Graduate Studies and Research (IGSR), Anton de Kom University of Suriname. 34 Introduction communities. However, this article will only focus on the initiation of the Baptist mission Historiographies and oral narratives concerning among the Trio and transition of their Amerindian societies indicate that they have settlement patterns. been characterized by periods of transition The inception of the Baptist mission through space and time, affecting the internal amongst the Trio and Wayana political, economic, cultural and social dynamics of these societies. Looking at the Baptist missionary work in Suriname began in nature of historical changes in native 1954 by the launch of the West Indies Mission Amazonia, the nature of contacts with (WIM).2 The WIM was however not the first particular reference to diseases, changes in Baptist congregation in Suriname.3 The WIM native ecology and settlement, warfare and began in Cuba in 1928 when Elmer Thompson, regional trade systems should also be taken into a young American, founded a seminary. account (Whitehead, 1993: 285-286 in Nankoe, Initially, this mission’s organization focused on 2017: 718). Transformations in Amerindian the following countries in the western part of societies are often associated with external the Caribbean: (1) Haiti, (2) Dominican influences, however in these societies there is Republic, (3) Jamaica and (4) Guadeloupe. also an internal dynamic. Missionary work as During the sixties the focus shifted to countries an external influence among natives can be of the south-eastern Caribbean, including studied from different points of view. Initially, Suriname. missionary work often implies evangelization Initially it was rather challenging for the or spreading the gospel and converting WIM, because obtaining permission from the nonbelievers or dissidents. However, when Surinamese government was problematic. looking at the Baptist missionary work among There were already several religious the Trio people in Suriname, the impact appears denominations present in Paramaribo, which to have been much more than just conversion to made it difficult for the Baptist to become Christianity. established. Their intended strategy was “to As a sociological phenomenon, place national evangelists in each of the target evangelization or religious conversion through subcultures in the city” (Conley, 2000: 385). missionary work is rarely limited only to a The basic education system in Suriname was transformation in religious beliefs. It is always also seen as an advantage to expedite the accompanied by social and cultural changes. evangelism process. Based on the literature, it can be noted that However, the population in Paramaribo group or community conversion often lead to was unresponsive to the mission’s work, thus social transformation. Studies and narratives shifting their focus to youth work which was show that Baptist mission had a significant met with a better response. The WIM began to impact on transforming the social, cultural, show interest in the natives of the hinterland economic and demographic landscape of the when the missionary Walter Jackson first made Trio during their presence in the local contact with a group of Wayana, who arrived in 2 Henceforth, the West Indies Mission will be addressed as WIM. Gemeente’ led by Carel Paulus Rier commenced. During the second 3 The founder of Baptism in Suriname was Meyer Salomon Bromet half of the fifties, the WIM and the Baptist churches in Suriname who initiated the ‘Vrije Evangelisatie’ in 1888, also known as the embarked on a collaboration which resulted in the foundation of a congregation of baptized Christians. Since its formation, the Union of Baptist Churches in December 1970 (Jabini, 2000: 98- congregation consisted mainly of Creoles and Jews but in the sixties of 101,110; see also www. vrijeevangelisatie.org). The Trio and Wayana the last century Hindustani and Javanese also joined. In 1898 there was congregations are also affiliated with the Union of Baptist Churches. a division in the congregation and the ‘Surinaamse Baptisten 35 dugout canoes in the frontier town of Albina in they were thus officially employed by the 1959. The Baptists lacked experience with government of Suriname to facilitate the missionary work among jungle tribes of non- building of several airstrips. cognate language groups and the associated The following seven airstrips5 were construc- logistics. Furthermore, such was never of ted in the hinterland of Suriname for the interest to them. They also never experienced government to pursue exploration activities: (1) the logistics of accessing native people. Kabalebo, (2) Coeroenie, (3) Kayser, (4) However, the Wayana encounter appeared to Tafelberg, (5) Palumeu, (6) Oelemari and (7) have challenged the WIM to explore a new field Sipaliwini; of these, Tafelberg, Sipaliwini, and of work (Conley, 2000: 388; Nichols, 1979: 9). Kayser were built by DTL. Construction They started lobbying with the Surinamese activities took place under difficult and critical government to obtain permission for execution conditions.6 Due to their significant contribu- of their activities among these natives. The tion to ‘Operation Grasshopper’, the DTL sixties of the last century provided an received permission from the Surinamese opportunity for the missionaries when the government to work amongst the indigenous Surinamese government authorized the tribes in the south of Suriname below the 4th construction of airstrips in the hinterland. parallel, which is a circle of latitude that is 4 The project, called ‘Operation degrees south of the equatorial plane. Grasshopper’, was embedded in the govern- The Trio and Wayana actually made a ment's Ten-Year Plan regarding the economic significant contribution in assisting the building development of Suriname. The project was of the airstrips, and thereby to the development initiated in 1959 with the objective of building of Suriname. Because of their mutual interest in airstrips in order for ground expeditions to the natives, the WIM and DTL worked together search for natural resources in the hinterland. in reaching the Trio and Wayana. There was Bob Price and Eugene Friesen, the co-founders also cooperation with other mission stations of the Door to Life Ministries (DTL)4, initially due to their experience with native tribes in the came as volunteers to Suriname in 1959 with a neighboring countries. In 1963 a merger was small budget to work among unreached accomplished between the WIM and the DTL indigenous tribes in the hinterland. They were in response to common goals and a harmonious equipped with a small Piper Super Cub plane working relationship. Based on this union, the necessary for the difficult landings in the newly formed organization was named hinterland. However, their application to the Suriname Interior Fellowship. In 1978 the authorities stagnated. (E. Friesen, personal WIM changed the name of the organization to communication, August 2017). ‘World Team’.7 Nonetheless, a chance meeting with a The DTL mission aviation services Dutch government official enrolled them in were succeeded by the Missionary Aviation ‘Operation Grasshopper’ as licensed pilots and 4 Henceforth, the Door to Life Ministries will be referred to as DTL. 7 See Also Conley, 2000: 385-386; Heemskerk and Delvoye, 2007: 37- 5 Also the then newly established SLM (‘Surinaamse Luchtvaart 38; Nichols, 1979: 1-5; Wekker, Molendijk & Vernooij, 1992: 41-42. Maatschappij’) played an important role in providing air transport for Other relevant sources include: Harry Debisarun (personal ‘Operation Grasshopper’. The construction of airstrips was executed by communication, July 23, 2012) who worked for the World Team from LARECO NV, while the government, by means of the Department of 1963 onwards; Roy Lytle (personal communication, September 6, Construction and Traffic, performed the overall coordination 2012) who worked among the Wayana from 1970 until 1983; and Fred (Wijdenbosch, 1996:79). Vermeulen (personal communication, October 30, 2014), who worked 6 Friesen recalls that 14 planes crashed during the first year of the among the Trio from 1965 until 1972. Lyttle, who resumed working for project; in only one two pilots were fatally killed: Rudi Kappel and World Team, and Vermeulen continued to visit these tribes afterwards Vincent Fayks (E. Friesen, personal communication, August 2017). as well, but had no permanent residence