CULTURAL RESOURCES SURVEY Produced as part of the Newmont Sabajo ESIA – 2017 

SUMMARY:

This Cultural Resources (CR) survey focusses on tangible (i.e. places of worship, artifacts) and intangible (customs and beliefs, rites, traditional knowledge) heritage of both the Kawina people who have traditionally used the Commewijne watershed area, and communities that are located near the Sabajo project. Archeology is part of the CR study but is included in a separate report. The Indigenous communities of the Carolina area will also be described in a separate report. The main ethnic groups of relevance to this study are the Saamaka Maroons (communities: Balingsoela, Asigron and Drepada) and two subgroups of Ndyuka Maroons: the Kawina Ndyuka (communities: Java, Pennenica, Gododrai/Mapane1, Moismoiskondre/Moengotapoe and Maripa‐Ondro/Mooimankondre) and Saakiiki Ndyuka (communities: Tapoeripa, Compagniekreek and Boslanti).

Newmont Suriname commissioned the study as part of its environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for the Sabajo project in Suriname. Social Solutions conducted the fieldwork under the auspices of the Surinamese engineering firm ILACO. The US based consultancy firm Golder Associates Ltd., which was responsible for development of the entire ESIA document, provided supervision and advice where needed.