Wanhatti | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 5°46′59″N 54°27′22″W / 5.78306°N 54.45611°W | |
Country | Suriname |
District | Marowijne District |
Area | |
• Total | 461 km2 (178 sq mi) |
Elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
Population (2012) | |
• Total | 468 |
• Density | 1.0/km2 (2.6/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC-3 (AST) |
Wanhatti is a village and resort in Suriname, located in the Marowijne district on the Cottica River. [2] The resort is inhabited by the Ndyuka Maroons, and has a population of 468 people as of 2012. [1] The village is primarily inhabited by Ndyuka of the Ansu clan or lo. [3]
Wanhatti means "one heart" in both Sranan Tongo and Ndyuka and refers to the fact that the village is a merger of the villages of Agiti Ondoo and Walimbumofu. [4] [3]
Agiti Ondoo was the site of a Gaan Gadu shrine. [5]
In 1972, a road was built to connect Wanhatti to the East-West Link. The road partially uses the path of the old defence line, [6] build between 1770 and 1778 to protect the plantations of the Colony of Suriname against attacks by the Maroons. [7] The road improved conditions in the village, and it now has a school, and a connection to the telephone network. [6] The Surinamese Interior War fought during the 1980s left its toll on the resort, and caused a large part of the population to flee. [8] In September 2010, a health care clinic was opened in the village. [9] In 2011, the road was extended to reach the village Lantiwee, [6] and it is hoped that this will lead to a return of farmers in the area. [10] On 3 June 2011, a library was opened in the village. [11]
Besides Wanhatti itself, the resort contains among others the villages of Lantiwee, Pikin Santi, Pinatjaimi, and Tamarin.
Fort Buku, a famous Aluku Maroon fort of the Boni War that fell in 1772, is located within the Wanhatti resort, however the fort itself still has to be discovered as of 2020. [12] The Ndyuka signed a peace treaty in 1760. [13] Boni also desired a peace treaty, but the Society of Suriname, despite contrary advice from the Dutch government, wanted to persecute and destroy the Aluku. [14] In 1777, the French send a diplomatic mission to Suriname, to discuss the refugee crisis. [15]