Sankofie continued its efforts to venerate our ancestors as we again participated in the planning and execution of the Ancestor Quao Day Celebration hosted by the Charles Town Maroon Community in Portland, Jamaica. For this the 14th Annual International Charles Town Maroon Conference & Festival, June 21 – 25, Ancestor Quao was celebrated on the third day, Thursday, June 23rd. This was auspicious in more ways than one as Quao’s name is that of a male child born on a Thursday and in addition the number 3 is significant to Quao’s people as it represents balance and completeness.
Under the Conference & Festival theme, Sankofa and the Healing of Indigenous Maroon Peoples, Lands and Cultures, the Quao day Celebration was featured as morning and afternoon sessions with the morning session being held by the Spanish River where the deciding victory of the First Maroon War was scored. The separation of the programme into two parts and the locating of the first session at the Spanish River Cove, Spring Garden Road, was contextualized as follows:
The visit to the Spanish River is a visit to the past to look squarely at the courage, resilience, persistence, perseverance, clarity of purpose, willingness to sacrifice life of our or somebody else’s family members whom we now greet as ancestors. To see the intelligence, genius, foresight with which they approached a war and their keen understanding of the absolute need to overcome an enemy to the sovereignty and sovereign rights of them and their descendants. They knew that some would not live to tell the tale, yet they fought. They knew that others would come who would need the positive outcomes from this war and so they fought. Steeped in their commitment to a greater good and the strength of community, they fought. They won. The battle at the Spanish River is legendary and it is known that ‘Quao’s defeat of British Lieutenant George Concannon and his well armed, fortified and provisioned soldiers was a masterpiece from beginning to end. A brilliant exhibition of the art of guerilla warfare, it completely destroyed the confidence of the colonizers as they were beaten and sent home with their tails hanging behind them.
This visit to the Spanish River is happening in the present. Today we know that at this location our ancestors sealed the victory of justice over injustice and that this was the last major engagement in the First Maroon War. In our today space we can see that they knew who they were, for what they stood and for what they would fall. In our today space we need to examine who we are as their descendants, to see if we are remaining true to their vision or if we are grabbing defeat from the hands of the ones to whom they gave it. In our space of today we should look to see if and how our lives have departed from their teachings, ways and perspectives. Explore how we can use their experiences, cultural norms and values to shape our own present experience and design our own treaties with them and others. Today is the space in which we venerate and give honour to them our ancestors and the ancestors of this land. It is in the today space that we need to gather our ancestral wisdom teachings, process then with the new knowledge, capacities and technologies available to us and proceed with a clear vision of the future.
The visit to the Spanish River is a visit to the future. A space, time and place not promised to us but for which we dry fish even as we say ‘Nyame adom’. A future we vision, visualise, ideate, imaging, envision in the present and continuing today space. So as to evolve it through our own will and purpose attended by clear knowledge of our identity, world view and hard work. A future to be founded on our and our ancestors’ understanding of Onyankopon and the cosmos, and to be co- created by us as descendants ascending from the brilliance of our ancestors, to the divine oneness for which they fought. A future strategically crafted to ensure longevity of our people, lands and culture and an existence in ceremony and harmony.
The morning opened with the blowing of the Abeng and drumming and dancing by the Charles Town Drummers and Dancers. A very warm welcome was extended by Actg Col. Marcia Douglas and Dr. Dave Gosse, Director, Institute of Caribbean Studies, UWI Mona, delivered an animated, account of the Battle at the Spanish River. The morning featured Quao Warrior Songs which paid tribute to the genius of the maroon warriors, libation, ritual and the sharing of teachings of Sankofa. The morning closed with the ancestral prayer……
I pray for the spirit of my ancestors that they may find rest…..That they may find peace
I pray for the spirit of my ancestors that they may find comfort…. That they may find joy
I pray for the spirit of my ancestors that we may find each other……That I may find life
I pray for the spirit of my ancestors that they may find family…..That we may find home
The afternoon session was about education and entertainment. Opening with the Abeng, Charles Town Drummers and Dancers, and welcome by Mr. Michael Lumsden, Chairman of the Charles Town Maroon Council, the afternoon had the audience on their feet, sitting in rapt attention, singing and dancing along as a number of artist lit up the stage in the Asafo Yard. Ms Lee – JCDCSpeech Competition Medalist, Ms. Pam Hall – Jamaican Reggae, R&B & Jazz Singer, Mr. Roy Rayon-Multiple Jamaica Festival Song Competition Winner and Jamokia Rose, Akinsanya, Captain Delano 'Paddam' Douglas all of the Charles Town Maroon Community, made this an ancestral veneration of no mean order. The Abeng blower- Capt Rodney Rose beautifully announced our presence in both locations, Mr. Marvin George for the Edna Manley School of the Visual Arts, had the audience eating out of the ancestors hands with his captivating presentation, ‘Honouring Our Ancestors’. The day would not have been the same without the support of the community members who came by to share their stories especially about the Spanish River and its surroundings. In true maroon style the day closed with drumming, dancing, singing in commemoration and thanksgiving for our continued freedom to celebrate ancestry, heritage and culture.
A big ‘THANK YOU’ and ancestral blessings to all who made this day successful.
The morning session for Quao Day, celebration was truly wonderful! I think the Ancestors were pleased to see the effort made to mark this auspicious occasion! We could feel their presence and see their manifestations throughout the morning's proceedings. They deserved a much larger attendance, but those of us who came, Nana Fofie, kept focused as she skillfully guided us through the programme. The Charles Town Singers and Drummers provided the music that stirred the Ancestors around and in us, and added historical connections about the Quao, and his men and the war with the English in the environs of the Spanish River. Thanks to Dr. Goffe, for delivering a very passionate presentation and history lesson for some, on how the Maroons used spiritual connections with the ancestors, Intelligence, strategic planning to his beat the British time, and time again. Thanks to Pam Hall for agreeing to share her gift of singing with us! It was indeed a pleasure meeting you!It would be remiss of me not to mention Mr. Blake-Brown, who kindly assisted us in finding our way to the grounds. He quite willingly shared with us, his knowledge and history of the Spanish River, then and now, including how the Maroons used the large expanse of land surrounding it, to their advantage in fighting the British. He insisted that we shouldn't leave without going to the Cotton Tree, where Quao would replenish himself. I, however, had look forward to doing so, at another time.
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