SITUATION ANALYSIS OF THE SMALL-SCALE GOLD ... - WWF

forest prior to their arrival in the mines. Their roots and kin relations, however, makes it
relatively easy for them to find a job and a subsistence living. Coastal Surinamese from
other ethnic groups who work in the mining area tend to work outside the pit as
mechanics, backhoe excavator operators, and merchants.
Most concession holders are Surinamese citizens from the coastal area. During the past
decade, the GMD has tried to increase the number of Maroon concession holders. Most
of these permits are SSM concessions, though some large-scale exploration permits have
been granted. This effort is laudable, but it has also created friction in customary
settlement areas. These have been cases reported of Maroon miners showing up with a
permit at the mines. They would inform the village authorities that their activities were
sanctioned by the government; hence there was no need to pay a form of royalty or fee to
the village.
Women constitute 5-10 % of the population in most mining areas. A selected few women
have managed to become mine operators. In Benzdorp there is at least one Brazilian
woman who owns a mining outfit and supervises the miners. When she is away another
woman takes her place as fore (wo)man. At least three female mine operators are active
in Sela Creek, all of them Maroons who grew up and were educated in the city. Most
women though work in the mining service economy as transient vendors, cooks, sex
workers, store owners, or a combination of the above. Women miners and service
providers are mostly Brazilians and Maroons, but also other Surinamers and female
migrants from Guyana, the Dominican Republic, and other countries work here.
The relative proportions of Brazilians and Maroons, men and women, vary per zone.
Brazilian miners tend to make up the majority population in most mining zones, but not
everywhere. The mining population in the Anamu Creek and Sela Creek zones (Upper
Tapanahoni River Region), for example, consists primarily of Ndjuka miners from “opo”
Ndjuka villages. 15 In 1999, after a Brazilian had killed a Ndjuka miner, the Ndjuka
Granman, Matodya Gazon, banned the presence of Brazilians in these zones. Today
Brazilians are slowly re-entering but they continue to represent a minority group.
Similarly, the share of women varies between sites. Relatively few women work in Sela
Creek after Granman Gazon spoke out against their presence in an effort to control local
prostitution. One of the larger concession holders in the Sara Creek zone has limited the
presence of women to those in a stable (marital) relationship with someone on-site in
order to reduce the chances of conflict. He is able to enforce this rule thanks to the
relative isolation of his site and his large degree of control.
15 The political, economic and social organization of Ndjuka society is „kin-based,‟ it consists of 12 clans.
Six clans live „above the falls‟ at Puketi, and are referred to as the „Opo‟ (up-river) clans.
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