Moon Author's Review
The stronghold of Jamaica’s Windward Maroons, led by Colonel Wallace Sterling since 1995, Moore Town is a quiet community located along the banks of the Rio Grande, about an hour’s drive south of Port Antonio. Prior to the election of Colonel Sterling, the Moore Town Maroons were led by Colonel C. L. G. Harris (from 1964), and before him, it was Colonel Ernest Downer (from 1952).
Colonel Wallace Sterling can organize B&B-style homestays (US$30/person) in the community, as well as hikes to Nanny Town farther up into the mountains. It’s a two- to three-day hike round-trip that will cost US$100 per person for guides, food, and shelter. If you don’t bring your own tent, guides will use materials from the bush to make shelter at night. Along the way you’re likely to pick up a few basic Maroon words like medysie (thank you). If you are unable to reach Colonel Sterling, Moore Town Maroon Council Secretary Charmaine Shackleford (cell tel. 876/867-6939) can also help arrange homestay visits and guides.
The Maroons have maintained their customs throughout the years, as well as their language, a mix of West African tongues brought by captured slaves who belonged to the Ahanti, Fanti, Akan, Ibo, Yoruba, and Congo peoples, among others.
