A Surinamese Caiman
A little over 40 years ago, we came to live at Leonsberg. The street was a dirt road and stopped at a wooden walkway over the drainage ditch that separated plantation Leonsberg from plantation Clevia. We lived next to the drainage ditch. Until at least 35 years ago, we had no fence, and behind our house was a secondary forest with mainly Parwa trees. Plantation Leonsberg had been a coffee plantation. The plantation structure was still clearly visible with all the large planting beds and a network of small ditches. If you walked through part of the forest, you ended up at the tennis court of the then Hotel Riverclub. On Sundays, our house became a cozy retreat for tennis and music friends and their children. On one such Sunday, the older children came running excitedly. “There is a caiman in the ditch. We want to catch him.” The caiman was caught with the bone of a chicken drumstick and a noose. He was then slaughtered and expertly felted by Rudi and Jan.
“Uncle Jan, where is the caiman? Oh, you turned it into masala chicken!”

Crocodile, Alligator or Caiman
Very often Crocodiles, Alligators, and Caimans get mixed up. This is not very surprising, because they look alike and are known as Crocodilians. They have a common ancestor who already lived on earth a few hundred million years ago. Their evolution was also very slow, so today’s Crocodilians do not seem to differ much from the prehistoric primal animal. But what exactly is the difference? According to the Scientific classification, the crocodile, alligator, and caiman all belong to the class of Reptiles and the order of Crocodilia. The crocodile belongs to the Crocodylideae family, while the alligator and caiman belong to the Alligatoridae family. The alligator belongs to the subfamily Alligatorinae and the caiman belongs to the subfamily Caimaninae. The split of Caimans and Alligators within the evolution happened somewhere around 40 and 60 million years ago. Personally, I thought crocodiles were all very big, then alligators would come next, and caimans were the smallest. In general, that is the case, but I have now discovered that you also have small crocodiles and large caimans. For example: The American alligator can grow to an average of 4 meters in length, while 1.5 meters is the average length of the Chinese alligator. The African dwarf crocodile rarely grows larger than 2 meters in length and the black caiman can grow 3 to 6 meters in length.

Various species of Crocodilians exist in South and Central America and the Caribbean. These species are distributed in their specific areas. Suriname only has caimans and only 3 species have been identified. The Common Caiman (Dutch: Brilkaaiman; Sranan Tongo: Wetbere Kaiman), The Black Caiman (Dutch: Zwarte Kaaiman; Sranan Tongo: Blaka Kaiman) and the Dwarf Caiman (Dutch: Dwerg Kaaiman; Sranan Tongo: Redi Kaiman).
Note: Crocodiles and dinosaurs are not directly related. However, they do share an ancient family member from a group called archosaurs.

Why were the Crocodilians chosen for the project of The Myth of El Dorado?
The Crocodilians are very significant to the indigenous people of Mesoamerica and South America. The iguana also holds an important place in some regions and is sometimes mentioned in the same breath as the Crocodilians. I found the following on the Internet: ‘The name “alligator” is likely an anglicized form of ‘el lagarto’, the Spanish term for the lizard, which early Spanish explorers and settlers in Florida called the alligator. The interrelationship between the iguana and the Crocodilians is, therefore, quite remarkable in the perception of people, even though these animals only have in common that they belong to the class of Reptiles. Crocodiles are found all over the world. In this blog, I have chosen to stay within the Myth of El Dorado and, therefore, the focus is on the Crocodilians that live in the region of the Americas.

Endangered specie
Several different Crocodilians, mainly crocodiles and alligators, are listed as critically endangered. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, two major aspects threaten the crocodilians’ survival:

• The meat of the crocodilians has always been very popular. A piece of crocodile meat is internationally regarded as a special, exotic, and nutritious delicacy, but locals also love the tasty meat of a Crocodilian.
• In ancient Mesoamerica, the skin of the crocodile was already used for clothing for gods, rulers, warriors, and priests. In the Western world, crocodile leather became increasingly popular around the 1800s.

The meat, and especially the skin, became so popular that crocodile and alligator farms were established. These farms have helped ensure that certain species of Crocodilians have not been exterminated.
In the meantime, a few world-famous fashion brands have abolished the use of leather from Crocodilians. Nevertheless, it is still a multi-million-dollar business.
The Crocodilians have also found a place in the tourism industry, given the many crocodile and alligator tours available. In Suriname, caiman spotting is often part of the program of a local tour. The existence of the Crocodilians, therefore, has the attention of many people. Unfortunately, there are still quite some other threats to the conservation of Crocodilians, for example:
– loss of habitat due to human actions;
– fishermen who kill the dangerous animal out of fear;
– change in the natural environment causing a shortage of food, or an invasion of another species that likes small Crocodilians for a meal.

Crocodile as spiritual animal
Crocodiles were an integral part of pre–Columbian Maya civilization. In Mayan art, animals are quite often fused with other animals and, in the case of crocodiles, the back of the crocodile resembles the trunk of a ceiba tree (Dutch: Kapokboom; Sranan Tongo: Kankantri) with thorns. The ceiba was the most sacred tree for the ancient Mayas and a symbol of the universe providing a link between the sky, earth, and underworld. Crocodiles then appear as the base of this “world tree”. Furthermore, for being a primordial creature, survival and strength are generally seen as dominant features of the crocodile. In my attempts to learn more about the crocodile in Mesoamerican mythology, the first aspect I encountered was that Crocodilians were associated with fertility and rebirth. They were responsible for the timely arrival of the rains and fertility of the soil. They were associated with the Mayan elite and the god Itzamná.
An interesting discovery I made was that some masks that earlier had been identified as jaguars, begun to be identified as crocodiles. It seems that, gradually, the crocodile is getting its true place in the pre-Hispanic cosmovision, being an important animal just like the eagle or the jaguar.
However, it has been Itzamná who appeared as most intriguing to me. Itzamná is an incredibly complex Mayan god. Although little has been recorded about him, archaeologists have uncovered numerous images of Itzamná in several architectural, sculptural, and artistic settings. Itzamná is depicted in various ways, including both human and animal forms. He could appear as four gods. At least two of them are connected to the creation of the earth. Itzamná was often depicted as a wise old man, but also as part human and part crocodile. He is considered a companion god who helped the Mayans to create their calendar system and develop their astrology, and science in medicine. He is known as a god of wisdom and knowledge. Thus, the crocodile spirit animal is bestowed with many features but, in general, it symbolizes survival, strength, and fertility.  Furthermore, wisdom. Maybe because of its relation to Itzamná. Itzamná married the goddess Ixchel, the Mayan goddess of the moon, love, and pregnancy; two of their children acted as creator gods just like their father, or maybe they were other manifestations of their father.

Creation of the earth
In Mayan and Aztec mythology, the creation of the earth is associated with the crocodile. There are many versions of one specific legend about the creation of the earth. Here, I tell my own version by using parts of legends already told.
In the legend, the gods were not fond of the liquid world in primordial times, so the gods Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl wanted to create a world that would be inhabited. However, there was a terrible primordial sea monster Cipactli, half crocodile, part fish, and toad or frog, with an indeterminate gender. Cipactli had an insatiable hunger and threatened to devour all the gods’ creations. The monster had a mouth on each joint, which also ensured that consumption was rapid. It was not easy, but eventually, Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl managed to capture Cipatli. These two gods pulled Cipactli’s body in the four directions and, thus, freed the universe from its body. They used the remaining body to create the world according to their ideas. The heavens were created from the head, the earth from the middle part, the tail became the underworld and his legs four rain gods. Nevertheless, Cipactli was still alive, and the gods promised him or her regular blood sacrifices. When these sacrifices failed to occur, the beast expressed its displeasure through earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Through this legend, it became evident to me why, in Aztec cosmology, the crocodile symbolizes the earth floating in the primeval waters.

“Ala piri tifi a no lafu”
Costa Rica has crocodiles on the west coast and caimans on the east coast. We went on holiday to Costa Rica with the kids and grandkids. A week’s beach holiday on the west coast included a crocodile tour because we don’t have that in Suriname. Our guide introduced us to several crocodiles that he knew well and had also given names. Hillary Clinton was a female crocodile, and Bin Laden was a very large and old male crocodile. Bin Laden looked about 6 meters long. I looked closely at his face with a very large mouth that seemed to be laughing constantly. He also had those cute, fun eyes. I then thought: “Ala piri tifi a no lafu”, a saying in Sranan Tongo. Translated somewhat literally: “When teeth are shown it is not always because of laughing”.

Before you read this blog, be welcome to read the following blogs first:

• The Myth of El Dorado – Introduction
• The Myth of El Dorado – In search of another gold

Tigri

A ballet friend told me that her uncle was an extraordinary hunter. He killed a tiger. Therefore, as a young teenager, I thought that tigers also lived in Suriname. Soon enough, it became clear to me that the animal we call Tigri in Sranan Tongo was a jaguar. There are several reasons to be afraid of the jaguar. It is a big predator, can run very fast, climb trees, and swim. I was advised to scream very loudly and make scary movements if I encountered one.  I was never convinced then, and I am still not convinced now, that this would work for me. I am barely six feet tall and have a very soft voice. Recently, I read better advice on the Internet. Costa Rica is a good example of a country that developed its Wildlife Tourism. I found sufficient information on one of their websites and summarized it here. When encountering a jaguar, if you are in a group, stand together, so you seem like a big entity, and stay very calm and quiet. If you are alone, raise your arms to appear bigger than you are. Slowly step backward to increase the distance, never turning your back on the jaguar. But if a jaguar wants to attack, you must fight back, screaming included.

Despite all the stories about dangerous jaguars, during a boat trip to the Raleigh Falls, I was envious of the people in the first boat of our group. They saw a jaguar sunbathing on a rock by the riverbank. He saw the boat, got up, threw an arrogant glance at the people in the boat and had disappeared by the time the second boat, with me, arrived at that spot.

Jaguar

Is the jaguar really such a dangerous beast? Jaguar is derived from the Guarani word Yaguara, which can be translated as ‘the one who kills its prey in a single blow’. Guarani is an indigenous language. Within the project ‘The Myth of El Dorado’ I got to know more, and also contradictory, aspects of the jaguar.

The jaguar plays an important role in several Indigenous cultures in the Americas. In the very well-known cultures of Meso-America, such as those of the Maya, Olmecs, and Aztecs, and of the Inca in Peru, but also in lesser-known cultures, for instance, in Columbia, Costa Rica, and Bolivia.

The importance of the jaguar for the shaman and the secular leader was the first thing that attracted my attention. There were golden jaguar masks worn by the shamans in several rituals. Temples built for special rites devoted to the jaguar. Jaguar thrones (chairs) as seats for secular leaders. The jaguar is bestowed with the following traits: power, leadership, protection, transformation, telepathy, and abundance. Stealth is also mentioned as a characteristic feature. I could not find the Dutch equivalent and felt the urge to describe it. I think of stealth as a strategy to conquer. The predator, the jaguar, keeps itself hidden from its prey. It sneaks up on this prey quietly and carefully without being noticed and then hits it in just one blow. This strategy demands self-control, patience, and discretion.

Because the jaguar is the biggest predator in Central and South America, it is not very surprising that the indigenous people of the Americas considered it an authoritative and powerful spirit. However, more than once, I discovered a somewhat ambiguous attitude towards the jaguar. On the one hand, the jaguar possesses ferocity and is an embodiment of aggressiveness, but on the other hand, it never abuses its power. It is only used out of necessity. The jaguar is not a man-eater. It is instinctive, even a bit afraid of humans.

Because the jaguar hunts during the day and during the night as well, it was believed that the jaguar could move between our world on earth and the underworld, the world of the dead. Also, between existence and non-existence. Some tribes believed that the jaguar was a messenger of the gods and there is also a general belief that jaguars can communicate with spirits.

Shamans considered the jaguar a spirit guide who had the ability to travel with them as they moved between physical and supernatural worlds. Accompanying them during these transformations, the jaguar would protect the shaman from negative energy and harmful spirits.

According to some legends, the jaguar is also able to change identity: it can change into a human and the other way around.

The jaguar as a spirit animal

In contemporary spiritual beliefs, the jaguar spirit animal reminds you that you have the power to tune into your intuition and the supernatural. Is the jaguar your spirit animal, then you have an unrelenting protector on your side. You have self-assured confidence and good luck for inviting abundance into your life. There is also an association with prescience and the foreknowledge of things to come. The jaguar symbolizes strength, courage, and wisdom. Its spirit is about achieving excellence.

The jaguar had to learn how to swim. So, this teaches us that even if you feel that you do not have certain natural abilities or gifts that others do, with the power of your will, you can transform an area of your life and achieve your dreams. You can change your fears and negative perceptions into positive actions.

Exotic beauty

Just as the hummingbird was admired throughout the ages, so, too, was the exotic beauty of the jaguar. When I was young, I happened to see the skin of the jaguar as a rug in a salon. In those days, about 50 to 60 years ago, real fur coats were the ultimate in luxury. In past times, the real skin of the jaguar was used in clothing and adornments of, for instance, Indigenous rulers. Today, jaguar skin prints are used in fabrics in all colors, from naturel to fluorescent.

Threatened specie

In former times, there were jaguar gods, but there were also tribes who captured jaguars. They held them in captivity and sacrificed them to their gods. The fur and other body parts were used in rituals.

Today, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has the jaguar on the red list of near threatened species because, today, they are still killed to serve as a trophy and for illegal trade in body parts. The tooth of a jaguar, for instance, is a powerful amulet. Deforestation has deteriorated the habitat of the jaguar to fifty percent and the farmers who already took big chunks of their territories also killed them because they were afraid they would attack the cattle. This leads to the conclusion that humans are the biggest threat to the jaguar. Conservation organizations protect the jaguar, since he keeps the ecosystem in balance, ironically, because he is a top predator.

A story

There are different legends and stories about the jaguar, but I do not remember one story in which a jaguar acted as a very dangerous beast. In Suriname, we have stories about Ba Tigri (jaguar) and Ba Anansi (spider). Ba Anansi is always a lot smarter than Ba Tigri. In this blog, I will retell a Latin American story that also gives an impression of the way the jaguar has been perceived more than once.

Pepe and the jaguar

Pepe went to the river to fetch some drinking water. When he returned home, a jaguar was inside, sitting on the floor. Pepe jumped to the place where he kept his bow and arrows. The jaguar laughed: “I know you owe your power to weapons, so I destroyed them.” Then Pepe saw that the jaguar was sitting on the remains of his bow, arrows, and axes. “I came to show you that I am more powerful than you are,” said the jaguar. He stood up, went outside and led Pepe to hide behind a nearby thicket. A Powisi (Crax rubra) came flying by and perched on the top of a tree. The jaguar silently clambered up the tree and, with one stroke, took the Powisi in the neck. He asked: “Are you able to do this?” “Without arrows or a shotgun, I can’t”, Pepe replied. They remained hidden. First, they heard footsteps and then a tapir appeared, walking towards them. The jaguar killed it in just one leap. “Can you kill a tapir like this?” he asked. “No, without weapons, I can’t,” Pepe said. They went to the river and the jaguar started to attract the fish by tapping on the water with its tongue. The fish came closer and, with a single swipe, the jaguar hooked one of them in his nails. “Without fishing gear, I can’t do that either,” Pepe thought. The jaguar said: “It is your turn to also perform three feats. If I cannot carry these out, we will be friends. Otherwise, I will devour you.”

Pepe looked at the moon in the sky, surrounded by clouds and said to the jaguar: “Wait for me here; I will be right back.” The jaguar growled: “Don’t think you can run away. I will always find you. If you try to run away, when I find you, I will kill you.”

Pepe went into the jungle, and when he was out of the jaguar’s sight, he returned home from the back. At home, he looked for a cassava bread. He then looked at the sky and when he saw that the moon was hiding behind a cloud, he returned to the jaguar and showed the cassava bread to him. He asked: “Do you know what this is?” “I don’t know,” the jaguar replied. Pepe said: “Look at the sky. Can’t you see the moon has disappeared?” The jaguar looked at the sky and then at the cassava bread. “You caught the moon!” “Yes,” Pepe said, and began to eat the cassava bread. “Is it tasty to eat the moon?” the jaguar asked. “Yes, it is”, Pepe said and gave the remaining cassava bread to the jaguar who devoured the entire cassava bread and, licking his lips, said: “Too bad it’s over.” “It doesn’t matter,” Pepe said. “Another moon will rise soon.” The moon came out from behind the clouds and began to move across the sky again. “How did you get it?”, the jaguar asked. Pepe replied: “It is very easy. I climbed to the top of a tree and with a jump I reached it.” The jaguar smiled and quickly climbed to the top of the tallest tree. There he prepared well to make the great leap. However, the jaguar did not reach the moon but crashed to the ground hitting his head against a rock. Then Pepe took the Powisi, the tapir, the fish, and the jaguar home.

Encore

Not so long ago, Rine and I killed a poisonous labaria snake (Bothrops atrox). Rine broke its spine with a stick, and I just barely cut off its head with a hack. Marleen said: “Snake Patrol will not be very happy with your deed”. ‘Snake Patrol Suriname’ has a beautiful quote on the homepage of their website. It says: The difference between beauty and fear is knowledge!

Before you read this blog, be welcome to read the following blogs first:
* The Myth of El Dorado – Introduction
* The Myth of El Dorado – In search of another gold

The hummingbird

Google the word ‘hummingbird’ and, within less than a second, you already have more than 10,000,000 results. There are quite some myths and legends about the hummingbird in various indigenous cultures in the Americas. This is evidence of their admiration for this little bird. There are several reasons why this tiny bird fascinates the indigenous people so. In this blog, I first write briefly about some characteristics I came across in my research about the hummingbird as a mythical creature. Secondly, of all the different mythical stories, I put only two, or actually three, in the spotlight that are interesting, in my opinion. 

In general, the hummingbird is associated with joy, love, good luck, beauty, playfulness, resilience, devotion, persistence, happiness, intelligence, and wisdom. Sometimes, the hummingbird also stands for infinity, continuity, eternity, faith, and hope. The hummingbird reminds us to live in the present, to stop dwelling on the past, and not to dream needlessly about the future. It makes you think of death not as the end but as the beginning of eternity instead.

If the hummingbird is your spirit animal, then you enjoy the simple pleasures of life, and joy is just around the corner. You know how to express love fully. You think fast and you are quick in making decisions but you analyze in detail before taking action. Your adaptability is great, and you accept the reality of change with a happy heart. Due to your extensive adaptability and wisdom, you can easily tackle immense problems.
Seeing a hummingbird just before an important event is a good sign.

In the Maya legend, the hummingbird is a messenger from the gods to the people. The ancient Mayans believed that the hummingbird was the ‘sun in disguise.’ The sun appeared in the form of a hummingbird to court the moon.

The most powerful god of the Aztecs is called Huitzilopochtli, which means Hummingbird of the South. He was, among others, the god of the Sun and the god of War. It is said that he was half human and half bird. The Aztecs believed that he was made from feathers of the hummingbird that fell from heaven. They also believed that warriors would transform into hummingbirds when they died so that they could fly and join Huitzilopochtli. For this reason, the Aztecs also considered the hummingbirds messengers between them and their ancestors.

There are legends in which the hummingbirds were able to convince the gods to bring water to the earth on behalf of the human beings.

Contemporary scientists discovered that hummingbirds are the key pollinators for 60% of the tropical plants on the continents of the Americas and the Caribbean. It is worth mentioning that the smallest species is the Bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae). It measures only a mere 5-6 cm and weighs about 1.8 grams, while the largest member of the hummingbird family is the giant hummingbird (Patagona gigas). It is about 20- 22 cm long with a body weight of 20-23 grams.

Unfortunately, hummingbirds became too popular, and they were used for improper purposes. Thousands of them were killed. Europeans were using their skins, feathers, and even their bodies in women’s fashion. In Central and South America, the tiny creatures were dried and ground into magical powders. The powders were then used to attract money, power, or romance. (These powders are still made, according to some sources.)

Fortunately, there exists the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918! The treaty prohibited trade in any migratory bird species and their feathers. The treaty also helped to protect bird habitats.

The legend about the hummingbird and the huge forest fire

Different readings exist about this well-known legend. I was most enchanted by the two following versions. As a storyteller, I narrate the stories in my own way.

Reading one
In a big forest, a huge fire broke out. The flames were spreading rapidly. All animals fled from this enormous blaze of fire. All of them, from large to small. The jaguar, the tapir, the deer, the mirafroiti (anteater), the pingo and the pakira (bushpig), the kapasi (armadillo), the agoti (bush hare), the krabdagu (raccoon) and many more other animals. The tamanwa (anteater) was so nice to carry the loiri (sloth) on his back. All the animals ran as fast as they could to the edge of the forest, where there was a big lake. Above the fleeing animals, the birds also flew to the lake. There they stood all together, totally confused, gazing at the advancing fire. They really did not know what to do. No one did, except for the hummingbird. This little one flew to the lake and, with his little beak, he carried as much water as he could from the lake to the fire to drop a droplet into the engulfing flames. He did this off and on, repeatedly, drop by drop and with unyielding determination. The other animals were looking on with mixed feelings at the brave little bird. Some of them started to ridicule him. “Hi little bird, what are you aiming at with your little beak and little wings?”, the jaguar sarcastically said. “You can carry only one droplet at a time”, the toucan with his enormous beak yelled sneeringly. Despite all this, the hummingbird was focused on the massive task and peacefully replied: “I do the best I can.”

There are two versions regarding the ending of the story.

Ending one
The spirits of the forest were impressed by the efforts and devotion of the hummingbird to extinguish the fire. They asked the weather gods to let it rain in order for the rain to put out the fire. This request was granted.

Ending two
The other animals got inspired by the hummingbird and also started to think of all kinds of solutions to extinguish the fire. In the end, even the jaguar and the toucan were helping. Due to joint forces of all animals, they got the fire under control and, finally, after days the fire died out. (I myself love this ending very much.)

Reading two
Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a monster who made a bet with the sun. He lost the bet and, out of happiness, the sun started to shine extremely bright. The monster did not want to give in to his loss and remained looking straight into the eyes of the sun. Because of this, he was blinded completely. Out of anger and frustration, the monster started to spit out hot lava into all the directions of the wind. This caused a huge fire on earth. First, all the beautiful flowers and edible crops above the earth burned down. Then a hummingbird saved the land of the humans and animals by gathering rain clouds from all four wind directions. By letting all these clouds rain, the fire was extinguished. In search of the rain clouds, the hummingbird flew through the rainbow. This is how the hummingbird got his beautiful bright colors around his throat.

An Indigenous story about Romeo and Juliet
Once upon a time, there was an exceptionally beautiful young woman. Actually, she was a princess because her father was the Chief of a very large indigenous tribe. The princess loved the animals of the tropical rainforest she was living in and the animals loved her, too. The small birds, the monkeys, and the small rodents, just like the agoti and hei, ate out of her hands. She loved the forest a lot, but her favorite place was the lake in which an enchanting waterfall culminated. She went there every day, where she paddled in the crystal-clear water and allowed herself to be dried by the sun, sitting on a flat rock at the edge of the lake. She enjoyed the luxuriant nature, became a bit lost in thought, sang a ditty, or was just humming a melody.

One day, a handsome young man discovered the lake and the waterfall. He was immediately captivated by this scenery with the young lady at the edge of the lake, who was singing while combing her hair. And, so, the princess met her Romeo. The two youngsters fell in love but immediately realized that their love was very problematic. The young man was not of the same tribe and their tribes were not on good terms with one another. Occasionally, there were even small wars between them. They decided to keep their relationship a secret. Every day, they met at the lake and, every day, their love grew more. Until one day, a suspicious tribe member followed the princess. The love affair was discovered and revealed to the father of the princess. The Chief was enraged and decided to immediately marry the princess off to a clansman. The princess did not want to marry the clansman and cried for hours and hours. The goddess of Flora took pity on her and proposed to change her into a red flower so she did not have to marry a man she did not love. The princess considered this the only solution at that time and changed into a beautiful red flower.

Two days in a row, from early morning till late night, the young man waited in vain by the lake for his beloved one. The god of Fauna felt sorry for him and told him that the goddess of Flora had changed the princess into a red flower so his beloved did not have to marry another man. The god of Fauna changed the young man into a hummingbird. The hummingbird immediately went in search of his beloved. With enormous persistence, he went looking for his beloved, flying from flower to flower. To this day, the two lovers still have not found each other.

Before you read this blog, I invite you to read the following blog first:
The Myth of El Dorado – Introduction

For me, intuition is a very important part of myself as a human being. My intuition told me that the gold of El Dorado was not only the precious metal that is called gold. In the manner of a bloodhound, I followed my nose in search of various scents that could tell old and new and beautiful stories. My intuition told me that I had to explore the culture of the indigenous people of South and Central America in search of their wisdom concerning the connection between animal and human. The concept settled in my brain that, for the indigenous people, the harmony between human and animal was of vital importance to the preservation of the human being and nature. From a global perspective and to use a trendier word, we talk about ‘the human being and our environment’. I started my research on the Internet and in books and, in the meantime, visited several countries in South and Central America. In these countries, the culture of the indigenous people is more dominant than in Suriname. I was looking for myths and legends of those indigenous people. However, most stories I found were interlaced with parts of Christian tales or the other way around, Christian tales transformed into other stories due to the local view on life and the world. Nevertheless, I also came across articles, legends, and myths in which the connection between human and animal is crucial. It was confirmed that the idea existing somewhere in my subconscious manifested as an intuition that there were, indeed, native stories, including the wisdom of life of the indigenous people. If we, raised in another culture, learn from this wisdom, this could be the start to finding solutions for the current environmental problems.

Within the somewhat western culture I was raised in, indigenous people were, and still are, considered primitive and backward people who think magical and simple. I am convinced that, when we look beyond this concept of man, we will realize who the ones are with poor mental ability.

In the connection between human and animal, according to the perception of the indigenous people, I came across the following thoughts.

Many indigenous tribes believe that animals have a spirit and they come to the world of the humans to give their bodies to provide the humans with food, coats and more. When their meat is used, they return home as a spirit. They provide themselves again with flesh and skin and return to the world of the humans whenever they wish to do so. In this regard, we may ask ourselves: “what will happen if animals do not want to return to our human world? Will we then speak of endangered species?”

Animals have great spiritual importance to many indigenous cultures. According to these cultures, the world of the animals taught the humans how to live in close contact with the earth. This is an important condition to have a full and healthy life. Due to this alliance between animal and human, the indigenous people are very careful and respect the natural cycle of life. Human and animal share the earth with each other and that is why humans may not use more than they need: do not fish and hunt more than you need, and do not harvest more than you need.

My search for interesting myths and legends in relation to human and animal in the indigenous cultures in South and Central America as well as in the Caribbean, yielded little result in the beginning. Much more interesting and flamboyant was the visual language I encountered. I identified five animals in the cultural heritage, which seemed important to me. I started to study these animals and it has not been in vain. This research, focused on one animal at the time, has taken me a lot further. Now, I have full faith in my belief that I will learn more about another gold of El Dorado. I will be most happy to share this knowledge with everyone.

THE MYTH OF EL DORADO
INTRODUCTION

A national perspective

According to the lessons on Surinamese history at my elementary school, gold fever in Suriname already existed many, many years ago. At that time, in my perception, this gold fever had nothing to do with the old colonial system, the sugar plantations or slavery. There was also no connection between the gold rush and the migration of contract workers coming from all the different countries.

There was a story going round about a king whose name was El Dorado. This king bathed in a lake full of gold, and when he came out of the lake, his whole body was covered in gold dust. Nobody knew exactly where the lake was to be found. It could be in the faraway interiors of Suriname, or in Brazil, or in Venezuela, or in Guyana. Historically, Sir Walter Raleigh was the most well-known person who went on an expedition in search of the lake of El Dorado. A lake by the name of Parima. The swimming venue with the first swimming pool of fifty meters in Suriname is called Parima and a waterfall is named after Sir Raleigh. Anyway, long ago, every gold digger was, in a sense, in search of this lake.

Some years later, I was taught that mining was our most important source of income, but when talking about mining it was only about the bauxite industry. We played an important part in the Second World War with our bauxite supplies to the United States. Out of bauxite, alumina was made for airplanes needed in the war. Moreover, Suriname was a hub, a stopover for the flight from the United States to Africa. In those days, airplanes could not bridge the distance over the Atlantic Ocean from the United States to Africa.

In 1968, after junior high school (MULO), I went to the AMS (senior high school or college), as this was common for students with good school results. In those years of adolescence at the AMS prep school, my fascination with the cultural diversity in Suriname grew. I was dancing ballet and, from there, my passion for all kinds of dance styles increased.

Trips I made regularly going deeper and deeper into the interior made me aware of the vast biodiversity of Suriname. Therefore, it is not surprising that, as a visual artist, I grew obsessed with the culture and biodiversity of Suriname. At long last, cultural diversity was incorporated into a broader scope: the Alakondre philosophy.

A regional perspective

Suriname was a Dutch colony and became independent in 1975. Suriname is located in the Amazon region, in the north of South America, but is also part of the Caribbean. That is why Suriname is a member of the OAS (Organization of American States), ACTO (Amazone Cooperation Treaty Organization), and CARICOM.

Born with the Dutch nationality and growing up in a Dutch education system, for years, I was focused on finding my way as a Surinamese woman in a South American and Caribbean country. My exploratory journey resulted in the verbalization and advocacy of the Alakondre philosophy together with soulmates mostly affiliated with Readytex Art Gallery.

After graduating from the AMS, I started studying in Suriname but to continue my training I went to the Netherlands after all. Immediately after completing my studies in the Netherlands, I returned to Suriname. However, for years, my education, my perception, and view of the world in general were dominated by the Dutch and European culture. My holidays were filled with traveling to old European cities with their grandiose museums, cathedrals, and other impressive historical buildings and landmarks.  

Sadly, it is only quite recently that I, in my work as a visual artist, went in search of the inner strength of the region. Just as I discovered the inner strength of Suriname in Alakondre through research and philosophy, I am starting to look for the inner strength of the region. So, quite recently, I immersed myself into this research and I ended up at El Dorado, which seems to be a regional myth.

The myth of El Dorado

Where was this lake of El Dorado to be found? It looked like Guyana arrogated the lake of El Dorado with much more persuasion than Suriname. While Suriname was proud of an alumina plant, Guyana had El Dorado rhum and ‘Golden Demerara’ sugar. This made it more plausible to me that the lake of El Dorado was in Guyana.

During a visit to Columbia with several ‘Museo do Oro’, I heard another story about El Dorado. In Colombia, El Rey Dorado is associated with Zipa, a mythical chief of the Muisca indigenous people of Altiplano Cundiboyacense. As an initiation rite, this Zipa covered his body with gold dust and, on a raft full of treasures, brought offerings to the goddess Guatavita in the middle of the sacred Guatavita lake.

In the olden days, the gold fever was driven by enormous greed and, through the ages, this has never changed. Gold from our region is not limited to the mineral that we call gold. It is far more than that. After gold came bauxite, mineral oil/natural gas, and tropical hardwood. In the exploitation of all these natural resources, the conservation of nature is not really taken into account.

After an in-depth exploration of the culture of the indigenous people of South and Central America, I can only ascertain that, in general, the indigenous human being is mostly concerned with preserving nature, the welfare of Mother Earth. Their wisdom of life is: Do not use more than you need.

Unfortunately, the exploitation of gold, bauxite, mineral oil/natural gas, and tropical hardwood is focused on materialism, living in luxury, for a relatively small part of mankind.

Today, the Amazon rainforest is still called the lungs of the earth and it is a goldmine for carbon credits. I wonder how long it will last before this goldmine is also destroyed by exploitation because of the greed of people, and how we can prevent the inhabitants of this region to fall into slavery again.

After my solo exhibition Alakondre Tori and my novel Het Alakondre Drakenmeisje (The Alakondre Dragon Girl) in 2022, I decided to research the culture of the indigenous people in South and Central America. I want to do research into the connection between animals and humans, whereas the harmony between the human being and animal can preserve the equilibrium between the human being and nature.

Painting I: Oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm
me ben dren wan dren
a dren no ben de wan dren

I had a dream
and it was not a dream

Painting II: Oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm
a busi ben kinki
a ben kinki
so wan langa ten k’ba
wan dei mi sa las’ pasi
ini a memre fu a busi

the rainforest has changed
it already changed
a long time ago
one day I’ll be lost
in the memory of the rainforest

In 1998, we founded the Federation of Visual Artists in Suriname (FVAS).
We were a group of visual artists who were quite oriented on our Surinamese society. We wanted visual art to be of more importance in Suriname and made it a part of people’s daily life. As charter member, I became the secretary from the start until 2017. Within our social art and community projects, several educational art and environment projects were carried out. In the school year 2007 – 2008, the IDB Cultural Fund was the main sponsor of the program, and, in the school year 2008 – 2009, the project was financed by the UNESCO. George Struikelblok (vice-chair at that time) and I were the initiators, project developers and project managers all at the same time. Art and environment education were also part of a big art project in 2015, the PARAMARIBO – PIKIN SLEE – THE NETHERLANDS CONNECTION. This project was financed by the Dutch Embassy in Paramaribo and the GEF Small Grants Program of the UNDP. This project was again led by George Struikelblok (who, in the meantime, had become the FVAS chair) and I.

Educational Art and Environment project 2007 – 2008. Linocut Posters.

Now, in 2024, I think about the educational art and environment projects that were carried out in 2007, 2008 and 2009. When we were preparing the projects, we discovered that we were not the first who wanted to call attention to the environment with short informative videos. Stichting Schoon Suriname (Foundation Clean Suriname) and the National Institute for Environment and Development in Suriname (NIMOS) had already made TV spots that were being broadcast via our local TV stations. But what was the status of the awareness of the Surinamese people at that time? We went to various junior high schools (mulo) in Paramaribo and the districts with television and DVD sets. All different information videos about several kinds of pollution of the human environment were shown first. It was, among other things, about ‘garbage’, ‘mental pollution’, ‘hullabaloo’, ‘pollution of surface water’ (rivers, creeks, ditches), ‘pesticides’, ‘plastics’ (plastic bottles), ‘pollution of our tropical rainforest’, ‘recycling’, ‘global warming’. After these informative sessions, posters were made by using linocut and print techniques and printing T-shirts with a simple screenprint technique. But, once again, how much of this awareness we wanted to impart on them about our environment has stuck with those youngsters who are now all adults?

Educational Art and Environment project 2008 – 2009. Screenprint on T-shirts.

In 2008, I was also asked by Tanya Wijngaarde to write an article for our daily newspaper De Ware Tijd. The article was published in the quire ‘Swit Kontren’ and the headline was: “SURINAME, LAWAAIERIGE VUILNISBELT ALS TOERISTISCHE BESTEMMING” (SURINAME, NOISY GARBAGE DUMP AS TOURIST DESTINATION). The tourism sector was working intensively to promote Suriname as an attractive tourist destination and Suriname became one of the 10 best places to be, according to Lonely Planet in 2010. But, in 2008, the awareness of a clean and healthy environment needed for the development of tourism was not quite there yet.

In 2013, I won the Bridget Jones Travel Award. I travelled to Warwick, England, for the presentation of my essay “The Space In Between”. After this presentation, a white man in the audience said that he had paid a visit to Suriname and he considered Paramaribo a typical Dutch town in the Caribbean. Everything was so neat and clean. I did not have the chance to say or ask anything because the audience became a bit noisy here and there due to several displeased people. They thought of the remark as quite tendentious, as if the rest of the Caribbean was not clean. As a matter of fact, I was wondering when this man had come to Suriname. Had it been at the time when street sweepers equipped with brooms and rakes were in charge of keeping Paramaribo clean?

Today, I drove through a Paramaribo full of litter everywhere. I received a WhatsApp message that the government had not paid the garbage collecting service and that we would be saddled up with our own garbage. Now I keep thinking about:

• the impressive video shown in a solo exhibition of Marcel Pinas about the consequences of mercury poisoning by a little Maroon boy;
• the cyanide disaster in our neighboring country Guyana in 1995;
• the discussion about Mennonites in Suriname;
• carbon credits;
• National Socialism (Nazism) and the malignant narcissism of Hitler with his Clean Germany and antisemitism;
• the upcoming elections in 2025.

This is just one story with some thoughts and experiences about Art and Environment in Suriname.

Pupils of junior high school in a reading session

The Educational Program of The Alakondre Dragongirl and the exhibition Alakondre Tori.

Together with the publication of my novel ‘Het Alakondre Drakenmeisje’ (Alakondre dragon girl) and within my solo exhibition ‘Alakondre tori’ (Alakondre story), I organized an art educational program for youngsters from the age of 12 to 20 years.

Readytex Art Gallery @ Steenbakkerijstraat 30, Paramaribo, Suriname

Art education, Readytex Art Gallery and Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi.
Through the years, Readytex Art Gallery at Steenbakkerijstraat 30 in Paramaribo, Suriname, grew into a platform for national and international visual art. Suriname does not have art museums. That is why, Readytex Art Gallery is often used for educational efforts.

The reading sessions were led by students of I.O.L., Instituut voor de Opleiding van Leraren (Advanced Teachers Training Institute), department for studies in the Dutch language

I (Kit-Ling) am a partner-artist at Readytex Art Gallery. Next to my profession as a visual artist, at the turn of the century I also started to perform as a writer. I wrote among others, informative articles on Surinamese visual artists. (Published in PIT, a monthly magazine) and in de Ware Tijd, a daily newspaper).
An international highlight was receiving the Bridget Jones Travel Award of the ‘Society for Caribbean Studies’ in 2013, for my essay ‘The Space in Between’.
As a charter member and secretary of the Federation of Visual Artists in Suriname (FVAS) (1998 – 2017), I was involved in the development and management of all ‘Community Art’ and ‘Art Educational’ projects of this organization. I also participated in these art projects as a visual artist.

Youngsters are looking around in search of their favorite painting

The educational program of ‘The Alakondre dragon girl’ and ‘Alakondre tori’.
The educational program started with youngsters of junior and senior high schools visiting the exhibition. The visits started with these teenagers just looking around at the paintings in the exhibition. Based on the works, they considered to be the most interesting paintings, stories or a part of a story were read out loud. At every session the youngsters and I, had a little interaction. Most of the time, it was just asking some questions and I was telling a little bit about myself. Every session ended very common to Suriname, with them enjoyed barra’s with pommecythere chutney and chocolate cookies.

Another reading session by pupils of the fourth grade of junior high school

At the presentation of the book on October 1^st, 2022, Mrs. Lorain Lepelblad (Library Department of the Ministry of Education) told me that she was willing to support me in the educational program. We decided to have a competition for all junior and senior high schools in Suriname. The competition was called: PRIJSVRAAG TEKEN/ SCHILDER, SCHRIJF, PERFORM (COMPETITION DRAW/ PAINT, WRITE AND PERFORM).

Prizes and categories:

1. A prize for the double talented student. One student makes a drawing or a painting and writes a short story or a poem about the same subject.
2. A prize for a couple. Two students work together. One student draws or paints and another writes. Both students work together on the same subject and there had to be a beautiful connection between the visual work and the text.
3. A prize for a group for writing the lyrics of a song or RAP, and the performance of the song or the RAP.

The prizegiving ceremony got a lot of attention

For each category there was a prize on the level of junior high school and another prize on the level of senior high school. The school with the best submissions also won a prize.
The educational program was closed with a prizegiving ceremony and an exhibition of the works of the students in the project. The prizegiving ceremony was on May 5, 2023, and the exhibition on May 5 and 6, 2023 at the HAL @ Grote Combéweg 45.

The winner of the category Performance was selected during the supporting program of the prizegiving ceremony

Prizewinners of Performance, Category C: MULO KWATTA 1: Syesha Wongsodikromo, Tacharell Lapar and Yoma Apinsa

Winner of Category A, V.O.J.: Ishaan Badal, Bueno Bibazschool, Nieuw Nickerie

Winner of Category A, V.O.S.: Rani Doebrie, Scholengemeenschap Tamanredjo, Commewijne

Winners Category B, V.O.J – niveau: Alicia Milan and Elias Noehamad, MULO Ellen, Commewijne

Winners Category B, V.O.S.: Jeremain Clemens and Rafael Sidoel, VWO – 4, Paramaribo

The prize for the school with the best submissions was a Samsung tablet and VOJ Copieweg, Para won this prize.
All pupils with a score of 10 points (Excellent!) for their drawing/ painting or a score of 8+ (Good to excellent) for their story/ poem also earned a prize. These pupils are also living in the various districts of Suriname.

Photos Alakondre Drakenmeisje. Bookpresentation.

Photos Solo exhibition ‘Alakondre tori’. Opening reception

Photos Educational program ‘Alakondre Dragongirl’

External link about the book presentation.

In 1972, I decided to study Visual Art and Art Education. So, in 2022, I will celebrate 50 years of visual art as part of my daily life. I think it was about ten years ago when Dhiradj Ramsamoedj said to me: “Actually you are a walking history book. Everything you have experienced, is now history. Are you going to tell me about it?” At about the same time, I knew it was time to give my website a face-lift and I decided to build a new website with a blog to tell some of the stories Dhiradj was talking about. In these blog stories, I will tell parts of an art history, viewed from my own perception and perspective.
I was thinking about a chronological sequence, but I decided to just write about something whenever I feel like doing so. To be clear about the certain period, I will always record the year or years when necessary.
It took a long time to rebuild my website, but now it is here.
Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi, Paramaribo 2021

Erwin de Vries and me

Written by Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi

Once upon a time, many years ago, I met Erwin de Vries for the first time in my life. I think I was already twenty, but I looked like a girl of fourteen being very slender, not to say thin, and tiny. At that time, Erwin was still Holland based, but when he was in Suriname, he used to live and have his studio in a colonial house at the Rietbergplein on the corner of the Wilhelminastraat and the Cornelis Jongbawstraat. The house was built in a typical ‘Combé – style’ with a balcony facing the Rietbergplein and you could see all the traffic of four streets merging at one point. The four streets were the Kleine Waterstraat, Sommelsdijckse straat, Wilhelminastraat and Cornelis Jongbawstraat.

I was there with some other people, and I am almost sure that Erwin did not even notice me. He was obsessed with a beautiful, also slender, but certainly not thin, young girl. She was dark brown, had a short Afro haircut, and an iconic face and head. She just could have walked out of a Benin bronze. Years later I thought I recognized her in a painting, but that painting was dated 1987.

It must have been 1985 or 1986 when Chris Healy dragged Erwin de Vries along to our house at Leonsberg. We had it built only a year or two before. Erwin was going to build a house on the bank of the Suriname river. Chris wanted Erwin to see our house, because we built a big living space with raw timber beams, the ones they used for electricity poles in those days. It was in the evening and our lighting was still very poor. Erwin had a problem with this. I remember him murmuring that he had architect Nooitmeer making a design for him. Our houses are totally different from each other, but they both have a big and open living space with doors/windows and wood as domineering factors.

In 1999, we as FVAS (Federation of Visual Artists in Suriname) organized a seminar with a discussion on ‘The artist and the society’. There were four speakers. Hillary de Bruin spoke about ‘Policy on Culture and Art, and the Artist’; Syrano Zalman about ‘Art and Tourism’; Robert Ameerali about ‘Art and Commerce’; I, Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi spoke about ‘The Federation: A need to unite’.

In my speech I stated that if you wanted to take part in the international Artworld, even if you still wanted to do your own thing, you had to be able to speak their language. Because basically, people who speak their ‘language’ will exhibit in the Stedelijk Museum and people who do not speak their ‘language’ will be in the Museum of Ethnology.

Elviera Rijsdijk wrote in our daily newspaper ‘De Ware Tijd’ that the secretary of FVAS had said: “Je moet de mensen naar de mond praten om in het Stedelijk Museum te kunnen exposeren.” Translated into English: “You have to butter up the people to be able to exhibit in the Stedelijk Museum.” Somebody called Erwin immediately and told him: “they are talking about you”. Erwin was furious. It took me a lot of persuasive power to explain to Erwin that Elviera had twisted my words.

Years passed by before Erwin became interested in me as a model. Carla Tuinfort organized an exhibition in a yard of a restaurant called ‘De Hofstede’. She asked me to participate. When we were building the exhibition, Erwin suddenly came to me and said: “Wow! What beautiful calves you have! When can I paint you?” I must say, I danced ballet when I was a teenager, and my calves were not that slender. Furthermore, I was older now, and I had gained weight.

To me, Erwin de Vries has been a most outstanding artist, but I have never been in love with his work, except for the portrait of Micheal Slory and some bronze busts he made. My husband Jan van Charante on the other hand, loved his work. However, in both our eyes, Erwin was a very important artist, an icon for Suriname.

From 1997 – 2000, I organized small exhibitions in the lobby of Hotel Zeelandia Suites. These mini – exhibitions were focused on artists living and working in Suriname. I wrote informative articles on the artists and their work. These articles were first published in a magazine, called Pit. After being well received by the public, Elviera Rijsdijk asked me to also make the articles available for publication in ‘De Ware Tijd’. When I had Erwin de Vries on display in the lobby of Zeelandia Suites, I realized once again the greatness in his work. It really was most outstanding.

How Erwin thought of me as an artist, I can only guess. About twenty-five years ago he asked my husband: “How is your wife doing. She could draw so lovely.” I think he saw some quality in my work, but he did not really like it. It was not raw enough; it was too pretty and sweet. However, about ten years ago, when I once went to his studio at the Anton Dragtenweg, he was working on a bust and he asked me for my opinion. I gave him my comments and he changed it to my suggestion. Then he told me: “you were right, it is better like this.”

Going through my memories: Erwin did make me a very poetic and creative compliment. In 2012, I was honored to be the featured Visual Artist at the conference of the Association of Caribbean Women Writers and Scholars , and I had a solo exhibition within the program. Standing before the painting ‘Water dragon’ (on the cover page of the catalogue), Erwin said: “Who bought this painting? It is a very clever person. You can practically hear the roar of the water thundering down.”

But his greatest honor to me came when he had a solo exhibition in 2014, celebrating his 85^th birthday. He asked me to do the opening of the exhibition. Together with my fellow artists active in the FVAS (Federation of Visual Artists in Suriname) at that time, we really honored him at this opening.

Today, we are together at the ‘VAT plaza’. A bronze bust of Erwin de Vries, a self-portrait, is placed next to one of the pillars with my design on it. This conjures up memories of the past. Here Erwin de Vries had his own table, so even if it was too crowded and all tables were occupied, he always had his spot. He painted this, his own table, at one of the FVAS – Surifesta events at Sidewalk café ‘t VAT, in 2005. At another FVAS – Surifesta happening in 2014, we as a group of local artists painted (for the second time) a Giant Painting for the Departure Hall of the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport. There were 5 groups of artists, and each group painted a fifth of the Giant Painting. Erwin de Vries, Kurt Nahar, George Struikelblok, Reinier Asmoredjo, Dhiradj Ramsamoedj and I, were in one group. In this painting Erwin and I are also next to each other, with Kurt Nahar halfway in between, making a wonderful connection between our different styles.

I seldom joined Erwin at his table at ‘t VAT, but one day I was passing by, and he sat alone, so I decided to have a chat with him. He told me some spicy stories, which I will not tell today.