HIGHLIGHT ON THE MERIKINS

[00:00:01] Speaker A: The best insight, instant feedback, accountability. The all new Talk Radio Freedom 106.5 as our special guest from Fonzemans in St. Anne's Ms. Akilah Jaramuji is in the building with us. Blessings and good morning to you. [00:00:24] Speaker B: E caro. Greetings, Greetings. [00:00:27] Speaker C: Good morning. [00:00:28] Speaker A: Good morning. [00:00:29] Speaker B: It's a pleasure to be here again. Thank you. [00:00:32] Speaker A: I met Ms. Jaramoji at Funsa Men's roughly about two years ago. I covered a story, an event was a three day, I think it was cutting fire traces in the hills of St. Ann's bringing fire awareness, understanding the dangers. But then I dug deeper into Mrs. Jaramuji and realize she's not just a wonderful storyteller, but she's a historian, an educator, somebody who is deep rooted in a spiritual sense of understanding Mother Earth as a whole and the very fabric of, of us not as Afro people, but us as a people. All are welcome to Fahneman's to visit at any point in time and learn about the history. And if you're lucky and she's there present on that day, you're in for a treat with a wonderful story. Not a folk tale, but a story of truth and reality. Ms. Jaramuji again, welcome. [00:01:45] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:01:46] Speaker A: Come a little closer to the microphone so we can hear you clearly. Now we are here to talk about the year 1775 to 1783 where there was a family that arrived from the US to Trinidad and Tobago. Because you are a wonderful storyteller, I would like you to to shed some light onto the history of this family arriving. If I got it correct, the Americans, is it? Yes, Americans. And they. I mean it goes back to the American War of Independence when runaway slaves were first in encouraged to join the British fighting forces along with the Colonel Governor of Virginia and all of these historical things that took place. Let us talk about the historical events surrounding the arrival of that family to Trinidad and Tobago and why it's relevant today. [00:02:43] Speaker B: Ashe. I pay homage to my ancestors. I seek their permission to speak as I say. Omi Tutu. Ona. Tutu Ile Tutu Ori Tutu. Tutu. Laroye. Tutu. Ariku. Babawa. I ask for the permission and permission granted unto me by my ancestors as I call their names. Papaneza. Samuel. Ebenezer. Elliot. I call the names of these Africans that came. Andrew. Ayers. Cole. Cooper. Bailey. Blackwell. Burton. Dixon. Dunton. Elliot. Elliot. Floyd. Foreman. Fortune. Gibson. Hamilton. Hudlin. Huggins. Hall. Hill. Jackson. Jackson. McLeod. Morvell. McNish. Mitchell. Ransom. Richardson. Sambury. Shield, Saunders, Seton, Smith, Teesdale, Thompson, Webb, Watson, Wood, Weston and Loney. These are just some of the names of the ancestors that settled here in Trinidad. During the period 1815 and 1816, over 781 soldiers and their families came to Trinidad. And yes, we are here today. We are here among you Africans that settled in Virginia, north and South Carolina, Georgia, Spanish, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and way over to Oklahoma. These Africans were part of the underground railroad to freedom. Africans who freed themselves. Africans who were maroons already, some of them 100 years living along the Apalachicola river before the 1812 war. These African decided to fight, fight for their freedom. Not about fighting for the British, but the agreement was to fight for their freedom out of America at the end of the war to be placed on a colony some one of the areas where the British had control of and get lands to live in freedom with their families. [00:05:37] Speaker A: I thank you for that. I want you to explain to my listening audience the very importance of recognizing ancestral lineage and paying homage to the ancestors. Why is that so important, so significant and must not be dismissed? [00:05:57] Speaker B: It is important. It is important to recognize your ancestors. For me, when I'm asked who am I? My answer is I am land, water and something else. Something which I must pass on. Something that binds me to those of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Who are you? I am nothing without you. My ancestors. I am nothing without them. When I arrived, I was in their hands. They were here to welcome me. When I depart, they will lead my return. So everything is about the ancestors. So we cannot be disconnected. It's in our DNA. It's in our hair. It's in our toenail. It's in our eyes. It's in our smile as we offer libation and appease them and call their names. We have to keep remembering who they are in order to know who we are. Like Sankofa. Looking back to go forward Asher, one [00:07:08] Speaker A: might argue in our time we would have moved over 200 years away from slavery mentality, slaves on a whole. We'd have reached an era of where we embrace new waves of society. We embrace new technology, we embrace new ideologies, new teachings and new thoughts. How does one outside of what you just mentioned get our, how to put it, modern day children, modern day individuals, our working class to pay attention to the importance of this. How do we bridge that gap in your learned recommendations? [00:07:50] Speaker B: It's all about liberty. It's all about the life you live, the information that you share among your family. It starts at home reminding them of who they Are, yes, we have been fed with medicine of lie that the lies the education system has taught us and continue to teach our children. But it's for us to give them the medicine of truth. That dose of medicine, when they get up in the morning, let them pray. Let them call on their ancestors, let them give thanks. So it starts within the family. It starts with we adults and when we feel the children, this is where the breakdown starts. So for me, I embrace all the teachings I got as a child growing up in the company villages of South Trinidad. American descendant, my grandmother would say, you pray in season, out of season, until you catch the right season. It's not about Emancipation Day. It's not about Christmas Day. It's not about some special holiday. Every day you walk in your prayer singing your preachers, you appease the energy and the spirits that are within us. It's an outside. I know it's within us. So we just have to find it and appease and live the life all about Iwapili as a good and noble character. That's what we trive to achieve. [00:09:15] Speaker A: I take a call respectfully. Good morning, Arima. [00:09:19] Speaker C: Give you boy chance for taking the call and chance for the info, the education from this lady. So, ma', am, I would like to find if I'm a descendant of Americans. Can you see a place to check or something for this? All right, I would like to know. Thanks a lot. [00:09:34] Speaker A: Okay. As we talk about the Americans that came to Trinidad, our caller is asking about descendancy from the American colonization. If he's of that, if we should look into that. Why is the Americans arrival from the Americas to Trinidad so significant? [00:09:56] Speaker B: It is significant because we are one of the three groups of Africans that came here way before emancipation, settling in Trinidad. During the period, I repeat again, 1815 and 1816, we were granted lands in South Trinidad. But when we arrived, the first group arrived and settled in Laventille. They came on a vessel called the Lavante, a British vessel called the Lavante. So I don't know if that name, the name of the vessel had any influence of to the name of the area known as Lavantille. L A V A N T. That's the name of the vessel that dad and settled the first group in Lavantil. The name is now Lavanthil. The second, the first group as well, another group settled in Karoni. They came on the vessel called the Caron and I have proof of that. And they settled in Karoni. Then following that, others came in because after the war they sent us to Bermuda and offer us to fight again. Our ancestors say, no, we want our freedom. This is not about us fighting anymore. Give us our freedom. Then they send us to Halifax in Canada, trying to figure out where to send us. Because now this is a group of resilient, strong African soldiers, now free blacks navigating around plantations still existing. So they wanted to move us somewhere away from, you know, where slavery still exists. So they decided to send us to Trinidad, South Trinidad, but not among the areas where thriving plantations were. They sent us in that area, forested area in South Trinidad, Moruga, where the first company of soldiers settled along Najee Road or by the volcano there. Just check where they sent us by the volcano. After fighting, they'll send the first batch of soldiers by the volcano. They knew there was a volcano there, but did they care about us? I don't know. The second group of soldiers settled along Pitti Cafe, Matilda area. The third group of soldiers settled on the Indian Walk Road just after Matilda. The fourth group of soldiers, they sent them over to Williamsville. And those African soldiers said, that's a hard bargain they really don't like over there because they were separated from their families. So today that area is known as hard bargain. The fifth company of soldiers settled on the Indian Walk road going to Moruga. At that time, they used to call it Indian Trail because the Waru people coming in from Venezuela settled in Moruga and they used to use that trail to trade their goods From Moruga to the South San Fernando Market, they used to walk that route. And the 6th company of soldier, the largest company of all. So if you are coupon airs and a McLeod and all of them, you would find them in six company, the largest company of soldiers that settled. And this is where we are. So the caller that was asking where he can find his family, come down to the village, go and get stories. You in Trinidad, go and meet your relatives, Ask your grandma, ask your auntie, ask any surviving elder and they will tell you, you know, the root of your existence. [00:13:41] Speaker A: I was one Mrs. Jaramuji that always believed or never bothered to find out about my ancestral heritage and lineage, the family tree. Whether I'm a descendant of some great king, it never bothered me. I'm always of the opinion these individuals are no longer among us, so to speak, they have passed on. So at the end of the day, that knowledge of where I came from, that family lineage all the way to six generations ago, does not affect me today. I still have to get up, get to work, do my job, take care of our Family. That is the responsibility that continues to permeate. So to get someone with a mindset such as mine, and I'm speaking for the average citizen in the country, the average person listening to solidify your point of getting that information. When one gets that information, what sort of changes do you do? [00:14:48] Speaker B: We. [00:14:49] Speaker A: Are we to anticipate will then happen with the mindset of such individuals? How would that information benefit me 150 years later after finding out my great great great great grandfather's parents? Was this coming through. And I am now here today. If you can share a thought on that. [00:15:09] Speaker B: For me it is important growing as a child on the understanding who I am understanding that we are descendant of greatness. You are from somewhere something special. You are not just a normal [00:15:28] Speaker D: ex [00:15:29] Speaker B: enslaved person, you are just. You are a descendant of greatness, a descendant of freedom seekers, a descendant of these Africans who came but did not just accept being shackled, did not just accept being enslaved, but they freed themselves. And then it helped me to go deeper and deeper, finding my roots to my DNA. And then I found that Americans, a lot of Americans came from Yoruba land. So me embracing my indigenous African spiritual life ways is very important. And seeing it existing in my community today, it survived in spite of all the colonizers try to beat it out of us, cut off our hands when we drum in all the crimes and atrocities that were committed against us. The Orisha community thriving today. It is one of the largest group of English speaking spiritual connection in the Caribbean. And I say hats off to the keepers of tradition. So it influences how you think it have you in a certain mindset that I gonna live a life to make my ancestors proud. I want to be my ancestors dream. I want to live. My ancestors dream to be free, to be conscious, to be aware, to be, you know, just the one that they placed on this earth with a sense of purpose and being. So from South Trinidad came for the forest in my grandparents live in the forest. Being artisans, being entrepreneurs, being, you know, different, having different skills and trade. For me, coming to the city was not about loving the big building and more buildings and want to go in the fancy places downtown, but seek for the forest and seek to live in the forest and build the forest and degraded hillside just being destroyed by forest fires. And no one care about whether it survive or not. No one care about ecological justice. It was like, no. I want to be a custodian of my natural environment. A space where my ancestors, you know, deem as sacred. The rivers, the mountains, the trees, appeasing Mama only Lay or Mama Lata, Mother Earth, you know, and this is where I am today, just looking back to go forward. It helps me to be who I am and the life that I live with a sense of purpose, pride and freedom. [00:18:40] Speaker A: ASHE so even if you exist in a space and you tell yourself that you are just performing a menial task, the information of the past, of your ancestral history, if your lineage or your lineage is from greatness, it changes your focus. It puts you in a spirited mind to grow for greatness. As you mentioned, to make my ancestors proud. You know, a lot of persons often wish their parents heavenly birthday and you know, I know you're looking down at me, you know, so that strive even in recent modern day time to make our appearance proud. Even though they have departed this life, we still want to carry that name. I can understand now if I can get the information of the historical lineage, the importance and significance of how it would change and shape my mindset today. Let's take a call this morning as we speak with Ms. [00:19:37] Speaker E: Okay. [00:19:38] Speaker A: Hello. Good morning. [00:19:39] Speaker C: Hi. [00:19:40] Speaker B: Good morning. [00:19:41] Speaker C: It is not about where my lion has come from. You know David to say it's kings, it's just about I could identify which group of people are come from Adam. Answers ought to be kings or queen. From the, from the generation or the tribe or the part of Africa from where you come from. Once we can identify which tribe that is where my greatness lie. Davey Then I could identify what my king was. Then I could identify what kind of food they was eating. I could identify in which they, how they were living. That touched my soul. Davy so it's not about feeling that my grandfather was a great king. It's not about that. It's about identifying where my grandparents come from. Food would they, what they eat, what they drink, what kind of spare they have, what kind of clothes they used to wear. So if I decide to buy an emancipation suit, I know exactly what suit I could buy to identify. You understand the point. I get you three of my particular tribe because I black. The entire Africa is black. We all won, but we have differences in where we come from. Enjoy your morning. Yes, ma'. Am. Thank you very much. [00:21:03] Speaker B: Thank you. Thank you. [00:21:06] Speaker A: Hello. Good morning. [00:21:07] Speaker D: Morning. Davy. Oh my God. I just want to say that thank you so much for providing the history of Trinidad and Tobago. Now, well, Trinidad, you really didn't go much into Tobago, but I think there's a history there too. And I want to thank you because I was always searching for how what happened in the history of Trinidad during the slave trade and what happened before that. And you described it correctly, you described the events that happened, and I appreciate that. I think the problem we have here is that we always look to rise up an individual of greatness. But the greatness comes from the events when everybody joined together and they move forward. You know what I'm talking about, right? And I think it's a mindset, a consciousness, like you just said, because we know that there are foreign entities out there, government, politicians, who carve out our future. And it happened to Indians too. You know, it happened to a lot of people, the first people who were here. But what I'm trying to get at is this. There has to be a way to unify all of us where the events of our past ancestors get respect that it deserves because it all came from the foundation of oppression, you know, and we know America and other countries, even the wealthiest countries, benefited from slavery. Slavery was worse than the Holocaust, to be honest. It was horrible. But yet we see politicians favoring certain groups of people who also suffer persecution, but not under human bondage, but just political persecution. And they are rising up and being part of the system. Whereas the ones who will truly oppress, even the students in India and the four villages in Africa who are fighting just to get economic opportunities, it's being slammed down and pushed down. We have to watch and pay attention today because next door in Venezuela, a lot of stuff is happening. And we have three or four more years of madness all over the world. And we need to come together. Your story was absolutely correct. It wasn't even a story. It was historical facts. We know all about the mimings that happened in the Congo. You know, we know how the Dutch was the worst in Suriname. They were horrible. It'll make you cry. So I want to thank you so much for sharing your information with us. And thank you for giving me airtime. [00:23:41] Speaker A: Thank you very much, Doorbasser Trace for sharing. Not the Rasta trace. Ms. Madras, sorry for sharing your thoughts this morning, Ms. Madras. Ms. Jaramuji, let me take another call if that's okay with you. Hello. Good morning. [00:23:54] Speaker C: Morning. I don't want to title but you said to us that one of the first ships that came, the name was also linked to the place of Laventille. Did I hear you correctly? [00:24:11] Speaker B: The name of the vessel. [00:24:13] Speaker C: Yes. [00:24:13] Speaker B: That brought Africans from Canada to Trinidad was called the Levant. One of the vessel was called Lavante. And those Africans who fought in the war settled in Laventille While waiting for the lands in South Trinidad to be Ready to receive them. Some of them settled in an area called Carony now, but they came on the vessel Caron. So it's for historians and researchers to go after this piece of history and truly understand why did Laventill get the name? You know, the name Laventille had some connection with lavender, with that vessel Lavant and also Caron, with Karoni. I stopped there. [00:25:00] Speaker A: All right, And. And I think with Lavender, it is Lavant Hill. [00:25:04] Speaker C: Yes, the hills. [00:25:05] Speaker A: Because it's a hilly area, so it's a Lavon Hill. And it. It morphed into what we know as lava. [00:25:11] Speaker C: Let me say we add because of the name of the vessel. Where I see is. Come on. I just link the two together at that time. [00:25:20] Speaker A: Yes. [00:25:21] Speaker C: You understand what I'm saying? Because who was in charge? Was it. Let me ask you a question. At that time, were we under Spanish or French? No. Well, if they give us to the colony, that means the British was in charge of Trinidad and Tobago at that time. [00:25:39] Speaker A: Yes. Go ahead and make it. [00:25:41] Speaker B: At that time. [00:25:42] Speaker A: Yes. [00:25:46] Speaker C: That is how I'm trying to figure out the fort in love. In love. That there was a fort in love until. But it was not called the Love Until Fortune. The fort was named after someone. But anyhow, thank you very much, Davey, and thank you, man. Do enjoy the rest of your day. [00:26:01] Speaker A: I thank you for that. We have another call on the line. Hello. Good morning. [00:26:04] Speaker C: Morning, Davy. [00:26:05] Speaker A: Morning, sir. [00:26:06] Speaker C: Good morning, honorable, Honorable guest. Davy, what I like about Sunan, I like her voice. I like her tone. I like her expression. She's speaking with feeling and she has to be a very present person. But these are things you have to teach in our schools. The history of Trinidad and Tobago that has gone through. So we have to bring back history and trouble and the various. The contribution made by the various groups in the science. And that is what we're supposed to do. But, madam, I enjoyed this interview. Thank you, madam. Thank you, Davi. [00:26:42] Speaker A: Thank you very much. Before we wrap the interview this morning, the Americans are a forgotten freedom fighter. Why do you think, Mrs. Jaramuji, we forgot about the Americans, the significance of their arrival to Trinidad and Tobago, and what can we do about it in order to bring it to the mindset of our young listeners and those even in these primary schools. How are we going to change the curriculum? [00:27:11] Speaker B: This was a deliberate act by the colonizers to try to erase our existence after Andrew Jackson committed that crime at the end of the war by killing over 270 of our relatives. We call them the 7 company of soldiers that never came to Trinidad, they still stayed along the Apalachicola River. And Andrew Jackson rolled up that river and sailed up that river and murdered fire one hot cannon and murdered 207, 70 of our African relatives there. After that, we being sent to Trinidad, it was like to keep them quiet down there. Right. So it was never included in our history, not even about the lands that were given to us. If you calculate 780 by 16 acres per family, where are those lands today? After 1834, 1838, when Africans and others were free, freed, when indentured workers were given lands, they came within our space as well. And today a lot of our American descendants end up losing their lands. You would hear term adverse possession. They came and they settled and they there for 30 years and so on. So this is a wrong that need to put right. Another thing is the deliberate act to wipe us out of Trinidad history. But still, if you go to the company villages, you will see New Grant, you will see fourth Company, you will see third Company, you'll see sixth Company. So those signs are there to remind you that we came, our presence is still here. [00:29:13] Speaker A: I'll be very honest, I did not know the significance of those names until this morning. And I often see as a radio presenter, we don't always. Let me say good morning to Vanessa John. Vanessa, I will touch back with you in a short. I often say that as a radio presenter we are expected to know a lot. Some people might say you're supposed to know everything, but we can't and we learn. But I often Hear the name 6th Company and I understand it. Let me take this call. Hello, Good morning. Good morning. [00:29:53] Speaker C: A pleasant good morning, very interesting program. So I'm very curious as to. Hello? [00:30:01] Speaker A: Yes, go ahead. [00:30:02] Speaker C: Yes. So curious to know like where could I now look to find that all that information that you shared with us this morning, where could I find that? Because I am from the new Grant area and I was very surprised to hear and learn about these areas and the meaning and all of that. So I wish that I could, you could share with us where I, I and the other listeners who are curious to know, like where could we get this information? Where could we go and listen to what you shared this morning and. Yeah, all right, very insightful, thank you. [00:30:40] Speaker B: And on Saturday, this Saturday, Saturday the 8th, I will be at the old Indian War government school. We will be entertaining National Trust on a tour and we have books on sale. American know thyself in that book written by Casala Camara and one of his colleagues. You will find a lot of history about Americans. It's a very, very good reference tool to have in your library. [00:31:06] Speaker A: What school would you be in on the 8th? [00:31:08] Speaker B: The old Indian War Government School. [00:31:11] Speaker A: Indian War Government school ground that is [00:31:14] Speaker B: on the Indian Walk Road in South Trinidad. Going to Moruga. [00:31:18] Speaker A: Yeah, right. Also, you can check out the National Archives. NALIS carries National Trust. The National Trust. They carry a wealth of books where you can dive deep into the historical, you know, ancestral facts of Trinidad and Tobago. And I have a text that sent a message. Let's take a listen very quickly and see [00:31:46] Speaker E: such a powerful individual in the studio there. And Mom, I want you to know, keep that going and your ideologies and philosophies is so if. If down to earth is so to speak, and keep it up, Keep that. That spirit going. Davy, consider yourself very blessed to be any company of that. That goodly lady there with you. And you know, these things. I did not know. I went to school. I did not know about this. I learned history and I did not know about this Caribbean history. I did not know about this. So, you know, for the Spain is actually right. We need to introduce these things so people can respect and have more regard for Africans and their history. [00:32:29] Speaker A: I thank you so much for that message this morning, as though, even though I was preparing to yet again speak with Mrs. Daramoji, because I spoke with her and we have interviewed her wonderful daughter as well. And the team out there at Funds Amends. I always look forward to learning something new whenever Ms. Akilah is around. And no doubt this morning proved to be a classroom for me as I sit before a great teacher. And I really, really thank you for that. It's enlightening to hear your guests. It's interesting that Hinduism also cherish and worship the ancestors. At least two weeks every year. Another texter says, devi, this is such a wonderful, wonderful interview this morning. I truly learned a lot and I am from the East Indian community, but I truly understand and benefited from this interview. Thank you for it. Let's take this call. Coming through. Hello. Good morning. Good morning. All right, Americans at Nalis. You can also check it out online. It's M E R I K I N S. I repeat, M E R I K I N S Nalis. And you will get information on the Americans. And if it's the first time you're hearing it, trust me, you're not alone. They are the forgotten freedom fighters. They're among the ranks of the quarry to the the Kwame Tories, the Riobas and the other. Now, these are labor movements and. And freedom. Freedom fighters in their own rights. But they too are part of an ancestral lineage coming through in today's modern society. I take this final call. Hello, good morning. Quickly and respectfully. [00:34:21] Speaker C: Yes, morning, Davy. And morning to the guests. Great interview, madam. And great interview, Davy. I thought I knew it all about the history of children. To me, I don't know about that. Those American soldiers and so on that came here and I thought they were ordinary slaves that settled in those areas, including Laventille. I didn't know about that. Thank you. [00:34:42] Speaker A: Okay, I will allow you to give your departing. And thank you very much, caller. As I said, it's always a learning experience when you're around Mrs. Jaramuji. Trust me, it's always a learning experience and I am always grateful to be in her presence. So I give you the closing words. [00:35:00] Speaker B: Thank you. And for me, our mission is to ensure that collective liberation exists here in Trinidad. Not one group liberated and the other one left behind, but collective liberation. And in order to achieve that, we need a cultural revolution to unbrainwash our people. Not a revolution of guns, but a revolution of the right education. We talk survivance. We talk story. We want you to hear the story. Storytellers, I salute Queen into Springer. I salute all those storytellers who are around today and those who have gone before us. I just give thanks for this moment and I say let us continue to appreciate who we are, appease our ancestors and build Trinidad the way that they had planned to do it. Let us not give up. Let us not give up. Stand strong and as I say, collective liberation will lead the way. Asher. Asher. Asher. [00:36:01] Speaker A: And it will be remiss of me if I do not allow you to tell us quickly about Fonzamans Funsaman Community [00:36:11] Speaker B: Reforestation Project, a place I have nested for over 40 years, building back a degraded hillside once deemed the fire climax zone into a healthy agroforestry project. Today, even though we don't have funding and we have been forced to close a certain part of our work because all the national reforestation projects are closed in Trinidad, we still continue to do our work, our footprint remain good. We clean up your mess. We ensure that carbon sequestration exist by planting trees and making sure that the fires don't destroy the hillside. We have a draft bush and forest fire policy that was created by Fonseman Community Reforestation Project with the support of University of the West Indies as well. So we're just waiting for the government to embrace it, waiting for them to ratify it and adopt it, and make sure that we have laws around Trinidad and Tobago when it comes to caring for our natural environment, when it comes to ecological justice, you know, so when you say, you don't know, we have a map, we have a road map that will help save our environment and people as well. So this is the work of Fonselman. And I salute my daughter, Kemba Jaramugi, a true champion. When you talk about succession planning, check out Kemba. [00:37:42] Speaker A: Good morning to you, Kemba. I know you're listening. The best insight, instant feedback, accountability. The all new Talk Radio Freedom 106.5.