“IF yu cyaan ketch Quakuh, you ketch im shut” is a very well-known Jamaican proverb. I am reasonably sure, however, that if a survey was conducted, very few would be able to tell who Quakuh really was. Yet, he was someone who played a most significant role in the early history of our people’s struggle against foreign domination by the Spanish, followed by the British colonisers.

Quao (kwao) was the military strategist for the Windward Maroons. Without his brilliance, the legend of Nanny, our national heroine, would not burn as brightly, as it still does. Maroon folklore teaches us that Quao was called the invisible hunter and warrior. The many raids he planned, orchestrated and executed on the British army encampments during the Maroon war, were not only unsuspicious, but also very daring. They were implemented with such speed, precision and efficiency that they were totally effective in decimating the ranks of the British soldiers, and demoralising the resolve of the surviving British troops, remaining in the theatre of battle.

It was he who masterminded the strategy for the entrapment and defeat of the British at the Spanish River in 1739. Although most British soldiers died, applying sophisticated tactics of psychological warfare, a few were allowed to escape, to communicate the disastrous results of the battle to British military headquarters in Port Antonio. Quao’s objective, of course, was to create shock and awe amongst the rank and file of the British troops. It was also to drive further fear and despondency into the hearts of the local British population, about the seemingly inevitable consequences for them, of a continuation of the war against the Windward Maroons. Conversely, history records that at the conclusion of that seminal battle, the only injury that the Maroons suffered was when a musket ball — fired from the rifle from a British soldier — struck Quao’s rifle and a fragment ricocheted into his face.

Quao’s strategy was so successful that it forced the British to sue for peace with the Windward Maroons. This led to the signing of the peace treaty between the British and the Windward Maroon community on June 23, 1739; the British having previously signed a similar treaty with Kojo and the Leeward Maroons.

To quote Colonel Frank Lumsden, the current leader of the Charles Town Maroons, “Until Jamaica understands that the spirit of the Maroons is the ground of Jamaica’s being; that which gives its being meaning, we will not have the strong cultural identity to give us the clarity to guide, lead or manage — by ourselves — our own destiny. And so, we will continue to flounder; in search of values of the past.”

The main original settlement of the Windward Maroons was in the hilly hinterland of Portland, at a place called Old Crawford Town. Access to and from this village was treacherous for friend and foe alike. More importantly, its terrain did not allow for extensive cultivation, farming, animal husbandry or the establishment of a permanent, sustainable economy and community.

Soon after the treaty was signed, therefore, Nanny and some of her followers established a new community in Moore Town, closer to Port Antonio. Sometime after, another group of Maroons left the main village and founded a distant one at Scotts Hall in St Mary; of which Tacky became their most famous inhabitant.

Quao and his followers initially moved to New Crawford Town for approximately seven years. Subsequently, in 1747 Charles Town was established as a major Maroon village by Quao and his followers. This allowed them extensive stretches of arable land, and easier access to markets and the coast, for trading purposes. They even created and have continuously maintained, the oldest known public park in Jamaica, called Quao’s Village.

Every year, on June 23, the Maroons of Charles Town commemorate Quao and the peace treaty. In 2009, they staged the first international Maroon conference, hosted by the Jamaican Maroon community. It was titled “Maroons in the Americas,” and had participants from Suriname, Mexico, North America and Jamaica. This year the Maroons’ council has organised the second international Maroon convention, titled “Meet me in the Circle”. This event will proceed from Monday, June 21 to Wednesday, June 23. The four main panels will cover the following areas: African backgrounds, Maroon resistance, Global Maroons, and Maroon identities.

This inter- and multi-disciplinary conference seeks to explore representations of Maroon culture in literature, art, music, film, theatre, and history.

The conference strives to increase awareness of Maroon contributions to contemporary societies, bringing together Maroons with scholars interested in Maroon heritage and indigenous cultures. In addition to exploring Maroon history and culture, the various events aim to develop strategies for sustainable development and wealth creation in Maroon communities.

With the theme, “Meet me in the Circle,” the conference aims to establish a “Maroon Connection” beyond Jamaica, reaching out to communities in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, South America, and Africa.

The conference will host cultural events to commemorate the Annual Quao’s Victory Day (June 23).This includes the following: Drumming from Accompong, Scotts Hall, Moore Town, Maroon Communities, Dance of Fanna – Charles Town Maroon Community, Afrocentric Fashion Show & Art Fair, Capero – Brazilian Dance/Martial Arts, Dance & Drumming – Moore Town, Halifax – Canadian Conscious Rapper, Museum Tour, River Bathing, Tour of the 1800th Century Coffee Plantation, Introduction to Sambo Hill, Bammy Making demonstration/Expo, Pork Cooked Maroon Style, Food & Beverage Stalls, Art & Craft Booths, Ring Games, Marbles, Gigs, Storytelling, Donkey Kart Shuttle/Ride, and Kite Flying.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com