How the Controversial Incident Exposed Tensions Between Jamaican Authorities and the Accompong Maroons Over Logging and Indigenous Rights
ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — Recent developments in Quickstep, St Elizabeth, have seen Accompong Maroon Chief, Richard Currie, removed from the list of persons of interest by the police following an incident involving Forestry Department officials.
On Friday, a team of government representatives from the Forestry Department arrived in Quickstep to conduct an alleged seizure operation related to what they claimed were illegal lumbering activities. The team was reportedly obstructed by roadblocks made of fallen trees and boulders, leading to a stand-off with irate residents who suspected and aimed to prevent them from claiming and transporting the mahogany for personal gain. The incident grew into a confrontation between the residents and security forces, and the Forestry crew was eventually retrieved through a joint police-military operation aided by the Jamaica Fire Brigade on Saturday.
Chief Currie, known for his outspoken defense of Maroon rights and environmental conservation, attempted to mediate the situation, and was later asked to report to the police for questioning.
The event stems from a long-running conflict about claims of illegal lumbering in a protected forest area near Quickstep. This region is part of the Cockpit Country, a 500-mile limestone karst[1] rainforest spanning four parishes, which is vital to Jamaica’s biodiversity. It serves the western portion of Jamaica and contains around 40% of the island’s freshwater resources, making it critical to the water supply for the entire area.
Accompong Maroons argue that government-approved forestry and bauxite mining by foreign firms violate their ancestral rights, as outlined in their 1738 treaty with the British, and that these operations pose a persistent threat to the area. Additionally, international climate and environment reporter, Gladstone Taylor (@gadstone_), in a 2022 report on the situation noted that the government’s decision to grant mining and logging leases for the area threatens the ecosystem and water supply for at least the four parishes the territory encompasses.
In response to the incident, Accompong government officials, Chief Currie and Security Minister, Tamica Taylor, have used social media to address the community’s concerns and shed light on the dispute. The police have since withdrawn their statement identifying Chief Currie as a person of interest.
#writesandkulcha is dedicated to tracking the story’s development and providing updates on this important subject as it unfolds. See the official updates from the Accompong government on our Instagram account here.
[1] Karst, terrain usually characterized by barren, rocky ground, caves, sinkholes, underground rivers, and the absence of surface streams and lakes. It results from the excavating effects of underground water on massive soluble limestone. Britannica, 2024.