Whither Accompong Town?
THE ACTIVITIES of the January 6 celebrations at Accompong Town in St Elizabeth have not changed much over the years.
They include the ‘ben dung’ plaza-style selling, loud non-traditional music, trade of food and beverages, gambling, the cooking of and jostling for unsalted food, traditional music and dancing under the Kindah Tree, the marching with some of the food to feed the ancestors in the ‘peace cave’, the prevention of non-Maroons from taking part in the procession to the cave, the march from the cave through the community, the official ceremony, and all-night partying.
And just like that, the activities, the format for the official ceremony remained the same this year. It is not all about cultural entertainment; it is also a platform for political speeches under the guise of ‘address’ and promises to fix the long, rough, winding, narrow roads to the historic village. These promises are invariably not fulfilled.
Because of the unfilled promises this year, the vehicle I was travelling in had to turn back when we were near the main entrance to the hilly community. Two vehicles had met with an accident at a point where no other vehicles could pass.
PARKING CHAOS
The drive along the alternative route was long and bumpy, and when we reached the other gate, an entry fee of $500 was requested. I refused to pay because I intended to cover the event as I had done many times before. A donation of $500 for which I would get a ticket was requested instead. I refused to donate. Entry was allowed, and we drove into a parking chaos.
Soon after we parked in a spot where the vehicle could not be blocked in, we headed to the Kinda Tree. There, people were waiting for the procession to return from the cave. We had missed the excitement because we had to turn back. Nevertheless, we got a little drumming, singing, and dancing. The wiry male dancer was in his usual contorting mode, and the cameras could not get enough of him. After the march through the community, the official ceremony took a while to start, but the wait was accompanied by an entertaining band onstage.
And yes, the ceremony was riddled with addresses. Everybody had something to say. Some of the utterances such as the execution of criminals by firing squads, the building of a police post in crime-free Accompong, and the importation of “bilingual” dogs from Cuba to catch “dutty criminals” drew laughter and derision. Someone grumbled that the maker of such utterances should be put before the firing squad himself, locked up in the police post, and set upon by the bilingual dogs. I wavered between agreeing and disagreeing.
TALKS AND PROMISES
The biggest announcement yet came from Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett. He said, among other things, “We will make Accompong the first destination and we will now place the anniversary festival on the calendar of events and market the community alongside the destination when we go abroad to market experiences in Jamaica.”
And the road to the destination was a hot topic once again. In addition to the $9 million that the Tourism Enhancement Fund is to provide to repair the roads from New Holland to Accompong, the roads in the area will be rehabilitated with $20 million.
I reflected on the big talks, and I wondered why the Maroons are waiting for the Government to fix the roads when they call themselves a sovereign state, a state within a state. Why not use the proceeds from the annual celebrations and daily tours to fix the roads and put other things in place like a worldclass Maroon museum, trained ushers, valets, protocol officers, signage to inform and direct visitors.
There were many things I was not pleased with at Accompong this year, including the curried goat gravy, which made me sick for two days. But take me out of the picture. It is a very interesting place, an important part of the wider Maroon history and heritage. It is, in fact, the best-known Maroon village in Jamaica, visited by people from all over the world. When they arrive, let them travel on good roads, let them feel welcome and not lost, entertain them mostly, and spare them the firing squad, dutty criminal, and bilingual dog grand-standings.