Papaïchton

Papaïchton (the official spelling is Papaichton, but the spelling with a trema is the most frequent) is a commune in the overseas region and department of French Guiana. The village lies on the shores of the Maroni River.[1] Papaïchton is served by the Maripasoula Airport.[2]

Papaïchton
Commune
A view of the Place de la Poste in the centre of Papaïchton
Location of the commune (in red) within French Guiana
Location of Papaïchton
Coordinates: 3°48′25″N 54°08′58″W
CountryFrance
Overseas region and departmentFrench Guiana
ArrondissementSaint-Laurent-du-Maroni
CantonMaripasoula
IntercommunalityOuest Guyanais
Government
 • Mayor (2014-2020) Jules Deie
Area
1
2,628 km2 (1,015 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)
8,034
 • Density3.1/km2 (7.9/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−03:00
INSEE/Postal code
97362 /97316
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The village which is the seat of the commune was named Papaïchton-Pompidouville in honour of the president Pompidou.[3] It is on the border with Suriname.

Papaïchton is home to some of the Aluku people and the seat of their granman (paramount chief).[3][4] The indigenous Wayana village of Abunasunga is also located in the Papaïchton commune.[5]

History

Around 1710, Slaves escape from the plantations in Suriname, and band together in tribes. A tribe calling itself Aluku settled in Cottica over the border in Suriname.[4] In 1760, the Ndyuka, another Maroon tribe, signed a peace treaty with the Society of Suriname allowing them autonomy.[6] 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.[7] Between 1768 and 1793, the Boni wars started in which the Ndyuka side with the Dutch colonists, and it resulted in many Alukus seeking refuge in France on the other side of the Maroni River.[8]

In 1895, the village is said to have been founded by "granman Ochi".[4] In 1930, the territory of Inini is founded,[9] and one of the administrative divisions is Papaïchton.[4] The territory of Inini allowed for an autonomous and self sufficient tribal system for the Maroons without clear borders.[10] In 1946, French Guiana departmentalised, and the territory of Inini becomes an arrondissement. [11]

In 1968, the municipal circle of Grand-Santi-Papaïchton is created, and a year later becomes a commune.[4] Along with the commune, came a government structure, and francisation. Most importantly, it lead to the concentration in bigger villages and the near abandonment of smaller settlements.[10] In 1976 the communes separate in Apatou and Grand-Santi-Papaïchton, and finally in 1993, Papaïchton becomes a single commune.[4]

Transport

Papaïchton can only be accessed by air, or boat via the Maroni river.[1] In August 2020, construction is planned to begin on the road to Maripasoula.[12] There are plans to built the Route Nationale 5 from Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni to Maripasoula,[13], however as of 2020, Route Nationale 5 ends south of Apatou.[14]

Incident at Loka

Loka is a hamlet in the commune of Papaïchton. In April 2006, 14 people of the same family, including 12 children, were found dead, believed to be caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.[15]

See also

Villages

References
  1. "REGION DE MARIPASOULA". Study Lib Fr (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  2. "Maripasoula Airport". Airport Guide. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  3. "PAPAICHTON" (PDF). ENSEIGNANTS DE L’UNSA (in French). Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  4. "Parcours La Source". Parc-Amazonien-Guyane (in French). Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  5. Boven, Karin M. (2006). Overleven in een Grensgebied: Veranderingsprocessen bij de Wayana in Suriname en Frans-Guyana (PDF). Amsterdam: Rozenberg Publishers.
  6. "The Ndyuka Treaty Of 1760: A Conversation with Granman Gazon". Cultural Survival (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  7. "Encyclopaedie van Nederlandsch West-Indië - Page 154 - Boschnegers" (PDF). Digital Library for Dutch Literature (in Dutch). 1916. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  8. Silvia de Groot (1970). "Rebellie der Zwarte Jagers. De nasleep van de Bonni-oorlogen 1788-1809". De Gids (in Dutch).
  9. "Création de territoire en Guyane françaises". Journal officiel de la Guyane française via Bibliothèque Nationale de France (in French). 6 June 1930. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  10. "The Aluku and the Communes in French Guiana". Cultural Survival. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  11. "Loi n° 46-451 du 19 mars 1946 tendant au classement comme départements français de la Guadeloupe, de la Martinique, de la Réunion et de la Guyane française". Government of the French Republic (in French). 19 March 1946. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  12. "Route Maripasoula-Papaichton : coup d'envoi du chantier prévu en août". Guyane, le Première (in French). Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  13. "Route de l'intérieur : de rendez-vous manqués en promesses non tenues". Guyane, le Première (in French). 5 May 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  14. "La route d'Apatou raccommodée". Guyane la Première (in French). Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  15. (in French) http://www.rfi.fr/actufr/articles/076/article_43224.asp
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