André Pakosie
André Pakosie is a Ndyuka activist from a family of herbal doctors. He founded both Sabanapeti health center and the Sabanapeti Foundation. In the 1980s he had to leave Suriname because of the Suriname Guerrilla War and settled in the Netherlands. He has received honors from the Queen of the Netherlands and the President of Suriname. He was the founder of "Maroon Day." In his teens he rejected Christianity as he felt it hostile to pre-Christian traditions. In addition to being a herbalist and activist he is also a poet and historian. He is noted for his writing concerning the Maroon peoples.
André Pakosie has written 11 books as of 1989, in the following languages: Dutch, Sranan Tongo, and the Ndyuka language. The books are mainly about the history of Suriname. The Ndyuka mainly have an oral tradition, and to encourage the development of writing, Pakosie had been director of the National Institute to Combat Illiteracy in Suriname. Pakosie also writes for the Weekkrant Suriname and Trouw.
