Witsanti

Witsanti (also Wit Santi[1]) is an indigenous village of Lokono and Kalina[1] Amerindians in the resort of Zuid in the Para District in Suriname. The village is located on the John F. Kennedyweg near the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport.[2]

Witsanti
Village
Witsanti is located in Suriname
Witsanti
Witsanti
Coordinates: 5.4705°N 55.190611°W / 5.4705; -55.190611
Country Suriname
DistrictPara District
ResortZuid
Government
 • CaptainPatrick Mandé[1]
Population
 (2022)[1]
 • Total1,600
Time zoneUTC-3 (AST)

Overview

Witsanti has a school and a clinic.[3] The village chief is Patrick Mandé.[1]

Indigenous land

Witsanti is at the centre of an indigenous land conflict. It started in 2007, when a court awarded 643 hectares of land which included a burial ground of the village to two Dutch heirs of the Tempoca plantation.[4]

Steven Relyveld, who was born in Witsanti,[5] was elected Minister of Land Policy and Forest Management in 2013. The village was hopeful that the land issue would be resolved in its favour. In 2013, the airport was awarded land of the village,[2] and in 2016, laid claim to another piece of indigenous land.[6] A demonstration lead to the arrest of Patrick Mandé, the village chief, and one of his basjas (council members). On 8 June 2016, the main access road to the airport was blocked in protest.[7] On 24 November 2020, the village threatened to go to Inter-American Court of Human Rights over the issue.[2]

References
  1. "Dorpen en Dorpsbesturen". Vereniging van inheemse dorpshoofden in Suriname (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  2. "Wit Santi dreigt te stappen naar Mensenrechtenhof". Waterkant (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  3. "Planning Office Suriname - Districts" (PDF). Planning Office Suriname (in Dutch). 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  4. Zaïre van Arkel & Fabiola Jara (2007). "Pleidooi voor de rechten op gronden en bestuur van de Inheemse bewoners van de Savanne van Boven-Para". OSO. Tijdschrift voor Surinaamse taalkunde, letterkunde en geschiedenis (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 February 2021. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  5. "Relyveld schenkt SRD 125.000 kostende aula aan Wit Santi". Dagblad Suriname (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  6. "Als Luchthavenbeheer nog doorgaat met landmetingen". De Ware Tijd via Fathh (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  7. "Weg naar Zanderij bij Wit Santie gebarricadeerd". Star Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 February 2021.
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