Caribbean Dutch Treat lecture recording, 1964, February 11, Side B, Lisa Chickering and Jeanne Porterfield Collection

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Lisa Chickering: [[Back?] [[possible tape edit]] ---interest, variety and her own strange kind of desert-island beauty. You know, in making these films, we always do a great deal of research and planning before we go over to shoot the actual film. And I have a little secret to tell you. When we were really going to film Holland [[little laugh]] but as we researched and studied The Netherlands, we found that the Kingdom of the Netherlands, outside of Holland, was just about the most fascinating area we had ever studied about. So that's when we decided to film IT, and not Holland, which you're seeing tonight. And, uh, as you know, you've been to one part of the Caribbean [[pron. cah-rih-BEE-en]] with Jeanne, and now to another part of the Caribbean [[pron. cah-RIH-bee-en]] with me. [[audience reaction]] Back to see the other three islands of the Dutch West Indies, and then on to the country of Suriname in South America.

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And I think you'll agree with us that Suriname is one of the strangest, most exotic, different countries you will have ever seen. I know it was for us. And now let's continue on with our Tropical Touch of the Dutch.

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[[13-sec pause, sound of equipment being moved?]]

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From the ABCs, we flew northeast 550 miles to the three Windward Islands of St. Maarten's, Saba, and St. Eustatius. The largest and most important island of the group is St. Maarten, which is the first one we are going to see.

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Upon landing, we were immediately aware of how green everything is here, in contrast to the arid land of the ABCs. One of the most interesting features of St. Maarten is that it's divided, with one portion being Dutch; the other, French. And the capital of the Dutch side is Philipsburg, built on a narrow sandbar facing the sea with a large salt pan at its back. There are only two streets that run parallel, with the imaginative names of Front Street and --- you guessed it --- Back Street. [[audience laughs]

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The greater part of the 1,600 population of the Dutch side lives here, and we were surprised and, I might add, very pleased, to find English the predominate language, with Dutch spoken very little. The border between the two sides is marked by a monument, erected in 1948 to commemorate the 300 years of friendly relations between The Netherlands and France. And St. Maarten on the Netherlands side is spelled in the Dutch way, and in the French side, in French. And the capital of the French side is this town, called Marigot.

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Legend says that the border dispute of 1648 was settled by having the fastest walker of each island walk of each country walk around the island in opposite directions until they met. The territory covered by each then became the property of his country. The Frenchman won 21 square miles; the Dutchman, 16.

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Back on the Netherlands side, the pastoral beauty of the landscape looks as though it came right from the palette of an early Dutch Master. The greenery creeps right up to the many lovely beaches. And here, a sudden shower is often accompanied by sunshine, as it is here. For when this happens, the men happily say "the Devil is beating his wife."

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St. Maarten has a budding art colony, among whose members are Cynric Griffith, whom we found painting outside his studio. He's won several top prizes in the Caribbean art shows and it's quite remarkable as he's taught himself to paint, learning everything he knows from just books.

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An interesting study he did is of a little girl. When she's good, her parents hang her picture this way. But when she's bad --- [[end of segment]]

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Lisa Chickering: One of the most picturesque spots here is Little Bay, where our hotel was. It has a beautiful beach, and in this day and age it's nice to have a whole one to yourself.

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But on closer inspection you might find you don't. We planned the schooner, the Blue Peter, to the island of Saba, sailing the next morning at dawn. And early dawn found us in a small boat, heading out for what was to prove an adventuresome journey.

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Saba can be reached by sea, with this schooner making the 29-mile trip once or twice a week. Hearty seamen had warned us of the pitch and roll of the schooner on this trip, and as we pulled alongside, the captain looked down at us, probably wondering just what kind of sailors we'd be.

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I couldn't help but wonder myself. Once on board, the crew hoisted the sails as the sun appeared just above the horizon. The trip takes some 5 to 10 hours, depending on the wind.

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And once the sun was completely up, we set full sail for Saba. We left the last corner of St. Maarten behind and headed straight out to sea.

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Captain Crane [[phonetic]], whose home, incidentally is the island of Bonnaire, was at the wheel during the entire voyage, while his busy crew worked very hard at their own self-appointed chore of fishing. I couldn't help but wonder, though, what would happen if he caught a realllly big one. [[audience laughs]]

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As for the passengers, they spend most of the time never budging from the little camp chairs along the deck. There really isn't any place to go on board, but I decided to try my sea legs anyway.

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And I soon found that I didn't have any. And I must admit that I wasn't too displeased to see that Jeanne's attempt really wasn't too much better.

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It was nearly noon as we approached the little volcanic island of Saba, jutting abruptly out of the sea. Saba's the Caribbean's most unusual island, consisting of only 5 square miles --- mostly vertical miles. As the sails were lowered, we prepared ourselves for a most unusual landing, where there is no pier or dock.

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Sturdy islanders row their boats out to get the passengers, who must then step at just the precise moment from the schooner down into the rowboat --- or into the sea!

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High waves and wind can make this very difficult. In fact, sometimes quite dangerous. When a wave comes, putting both boats on the same level, that's the time to go.

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Jeanne was first off, was told to be especially careful not to catch her foot between the boats, which I thought was good advice. I cautiously followed and was relieved to get safely in the rowboat, too.

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Saba as yet is not a tourist spot. In fact, if you're looking for a place to really get away from it all, this is it. The next thing is to be able to get ON the island. And this is done by jumping just so from the rocking rowboat onto wet, slippery steps. [[end of segment]]

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Lisa Chickering:

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Well, with that part of the adventure safely behind us, we began to survey this curious little world. [[audience reaction]]

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There's always a great deal of activity on shore the day the schooner comes, as this is the only way the people receive their supplies.

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All produce and goods they have, including even ice boxes and bathtubs are rowed ashore in this manner. Everything and everyone is then transferred to the small cars which, when fully loaded, start their winding journey up the steep mountain to the main village oddly called The Bottom. [[audience laughter]]

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Before the road was built, donkeys were the means of transportation up to the The Bottom.

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The village is built within the crater of an extinct volcano, which accounts for its name. Here the little Bottom sits, and it's about the only spot on Saba with any actual area of level ground.

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There are no real streets, just a few peaceful, shaded walks that are just wide enough for one small car. The majority of the island's 1,200 people live here, although most of the men have gone off to Aruba and Curacao to work in the oil refineries, so the women outnumber them 3 to 1.

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Many while away the lonely hours doing embroidery work, which they're happy to sell to the few tourists who come their way. The main source of income, though, for everyone is the money the men send home.

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Aside from the level ground of The Bottom, houses cling to the sides of the cliffs, and parts of the village reach up to where the clouds rest. They say that Saba wears a halo as the top is always ringed with white clouds.

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You know, in this jet age of ours, it's hard to realize that there's such a remote, strange little world tucked off in a corner of the Caribbean.

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Our schooner set sail once again, and leaving Saba behind, we continued on by sea to the third island of the Dutch Windwards, St. Eustatius.

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Although second in size, it has the least population, with only 900 living here. During the 18th century it was one of the richest islands of the Caribbean, known as the Golden Rock, with a population of over 25,000.

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But now it's an island steeped only in the history of its past.

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This is the main square of its quiet, almost-deserted capital called Oranjestad. St. Eustatius played a very important part for us during the American Revolution. It was here that arms and supplies were transferred and sent to our colonists to help them fight the British.

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In retaliation for their help to us, the British in 1780 looted and burned the capital. Well, the island never recovered from this attack. And the proud town of former days is now an open-air museum of decaying ruins.

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This is all that remains of the old Dutch Reformed Church, and walls still stand with bits of Holland Delft tile in them, reflecting the wealth of bygone days.

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The ringing of the town bell today means a ship is in. The harbor where once many ships stood now finds only one that comes only once a month, bringing all their supplies.

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Although the land is rich, no one has the interest to do enough farming. So when the ship has been late, they've been known to go hungry. [[end of segment]]

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Lisa Chickering: Further along the beach, you can still see the foundations of warehouses, where ammunition was stored for our use during the American revolution.

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They performed another gallant gesture, too, on our behalf. In 1776, Gov. [Johannes] de Graaff, who lived in this house, gave the order to salute the rebel American flag.

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And here inside Fort Oranje, the same cannons fired the first salute ever given by a foreign nation to the newborn flag of the United States of America, flying from the brig Andrew Doria.

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In 1939, President Roosevelt presented this plaque to St. Eustatius to commemorate the historic event. And as Americans, one can't be help feel a great warmth and sense of gratitude to this little island which so bravely contributed in its way to our history.

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From St. Eustatius, we flew south across the Caribbean to the continent of South America and the country of Suriname, a little-known exotic land of incredible contrasts.

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It covers an area of over 55,000 square miles with many broad rivers cutting through the dense, impenetrable jungles and tropical rain forests, which cover more than nine tenths of the jungle--- and the country.

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In these steaming jungles only the most primitive tribes of man live. And here, large areas still remain unexplored.

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At the edge of the jungle, along the flat coastal area, is the developed section of the country. And overlooking the Suriname River is the capital and only city, called Paramaribo.

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Here, Paramaribo's Dutch heritage is seen, not only in the old Colonial Dutch architecture, but even the bicycle is a favorite means of transportation.

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The country, formerly known as Dutch Guyana, was a colony of Holland until 1954, when it received it's autonomy and became officially Suriname.

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The Spanish discovered it in 1499, but they didn't stay here. Later, the English came. And still later, both England and Holland claimed the territory. In the 1600s, after years of struggle, a treaty was signed, giving Suriname to Holland.

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Well, this pleased the Dutch, as it was thought to be a rich land. And in return, Holland gave England an insignificant piece of their property called New Amsterdam, or New York. Now that was quite a real estate deal!

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The population of the entire country is 300,000. And of that number, 118,000 live here in Paramaribo.

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This is Government Square, which is the focal point of official life. Here the governor's stately residence stands, along with other government buildings. The governor is the highest-ranking official in Suriname, representing Queen Juliana.

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Here he, to the left of the man in black, along with the members of the cabinet, is coming to the square to review the troops.

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This is where celebrations of all kinds take place, and today's parade is in honor of Prince Bernhard's 53rd birthday. [[end of segment]]

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Lisa Chickering: Although the Governor is the formal head of the country, he is bound to act in agreement with the Cabinet of Ministers. There are nine members, headed by the Prime Minister. Also in the government structure is the Council made up of 21 representatives elected by popular majority vote.

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The people are very devoted to the Royal Family and in keeping with the birthday spirit of the day this woman seems to be enjoying herself by testing her powers of balance, of which she obviously has ample. [[silence]] Later, to the Governor and his wife, she proudly presents her masterful arrangement of fruit and flags still remarkably in tact.

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One of the most outstanding features of Suriname is its mixture of races. Here in the market this multiracial society mingle together yet each retains its own customs, dress, and religion.

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The Creoles number the most, about 118,000 in all. The Hindus are next, numbering 94,000. The Javanese follow. And it is interesting to know that nowhere else in the western hemisphere is there such a large Javanese population. Then, there are about 4,000 Chinese and the same number of Europeans, mainly Dutch.

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Here in the United States, we too, have a tremendous variety of national, racial, and religious backgrounds. But generally, by the second generation, we become what is known as Americanized. Not so in Suriname.

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Here though all in all are Surinamers, this unique society of people with such diverse origins and dispositions all live together as one unit but, as I said, with each group still maintaining its individual heritage of dress, culture, and religion.

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Here you will find the Catholic church, which is the largest wooden structure in the western hemisphere, an octagonally shaped Protestant church, the O synagogue, a Hindu temple, and for those of the Islamic faith, a very colorful mosque.

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Lisa Chickering: Just across this small but relatively busy bridge - a short distance outside of Paramaribo - bright red roads lash through the wild, undeveloped country. And in the middle of nowhere, pink factories send forth billows of pink smoke-- an unusual sight, but not in Suriname where the red bauxite ore, from which aluminum is made, richly covers the earth. The mining and smelting of it accounts for 81% of the country's economy.

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In the district of Brokopondo, on the Suriname River, a huge dam and hydroelectric plant are being constructed by Alcoa, the Aluminum Company of America. This operation, called the Brokopondo Project, will provide an enormous amount of electric power for the betterment of the country. Also it will furnish power for Alcoa's aluminum plants which, in turn, will make it one of the major industries of the Caribbean area.

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From this next sign post meaning 'lookout' and pronounced "ite cake", as I'm sure we all knew, we went further into the interior. Once away from Paramaribo, there are no bridges over the rivers just ferry boats.

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Reaching the other side and the Coronie District - known for its numerous coconut groves - one immediately feels the slow, languid pace of this undeveloped area where the chief means of transportation along the dirt roads is the ageless, time-worn ox cart. Dense foliage and palm trees crowd the banks of rivers and quiet streams and here, as everywhere, boys turn almost any body of water into their favorite swimming hole.

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The people of Coronie live in primitive grass-roofed dwellings. And along the road these Javanese children seem very wary of our presence, as outsiders rarely come into their district. Thousands of coconut trees stretch gracefully to the sky and if one happens along at the right time, it's interesting to watch a picker, with the aide of nothing but a rope around his bare feet, shimmy effortlessly up a tall tree.

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Before the discovery of bauxite 50 years ago, agriculture was the main economy. And before slavery was abolished, there were over 600 plantations raising coffee, tobacco, sugar cane, and cocoa. Well now there are only about 60 plantations left, numerous rice paddies, and these coconut groves.

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Lisa Chickering: Well I must say that he's certainly gone to a lot of work on a hot summers day for a cool drink.

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When one thinks of going still further into the interior, the dense foreboding jungle stands like a hostel guard. The rivers are used as highways. As our boat glided upstream, we both felt very apprehensive about going to such a remote inaccessible territory. Here only the most primitive tribes of man live, such as the Amerindians who were the inhabitants of the country and Bush Negros.

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We were on our way now to visit one of the villages of the Bush Negros. Thousands of them were brought here from west Africa by the early colonists as slave labor. But hundreds escaped and fought their way upstream into the wild jungle inland which was very similar to their homeland but where at that time no one could follow.

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And these waters are still heavily infested with the crocodile and the deadly piranha fish. As we pulled into towards shore it really felt as if we were in the proverbial deepest darkest Africa.

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Once on land, out guide explained just how far it was along the path to the village. And before hand, he had told us what to wear to keep our arms and legs well covered from the hordes of insects plus our heads protected from the penetrating rays of the sun. For it was August and we were almost on the equator.

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We met a few disinterested natives along the path but on our actual arrival in the village they took one look at us and all scurried in different directions. They certainly didn't welcome us the way they do in Hollywood movies. Children, it seems, overcome their timidity more quickly than adults and soon were surrounding me for the candy we had brought them.

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[[silence]] Pagan African customs remain unchanged since the time the first slaves escaped into the jungles. And in the center of the village is their Voodoo shrine called a Hoke Poke.

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Lisa Chickering: One of the things that adds to the man's prestige within his tribe is his wood carving ability. After making objects such as drums, paddles, and spears, he likes to adorn them with decorative designs. Here he is putting the final touches on a stool.

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Women do domestic chores. Here, flour is being prepared for their bread. It comes, though, from a much more unusual source than our flour, as it's made from the deadly poisonous roots of the cassava plant.

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First the poison is squeezed out. Then the root pounded and sifted many times. The extracted poison is enough to cause instant death. While I tasted the bread and am still here, but I can't help but wonder where the first taster is.

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[[drumming introdcues & underscores lecture]] Towards dusk the savage rhythms of the jungle drums began to pound in our ears. We were to witness a Fire Dance - one of the weirdest exhibitions of Voodism to be seen - is performed as a certain part of the religious rite.

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Frenzied with excitement, and as if possessed by spirits, they're able to go right into the hot blazing fire without any pain or bodily harm. Medical science has always been baffled by this supernatural display as there's no physical explanation for it at all. [[drumming continues louder]]

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[[drumming softer, underscoring lecture]] As darkness crept over this uncanny spectacle, the Bush Negros continue their mysterious rite at the same wild pitch, long into the night. And we really felt as though we had witnessed a kind of sorcery and black magic taken right from the ancient heart of Africa. [[drumming louder & fade out]]

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The Negros that did not escape into the bush country, remained as slaves. But once slavery was abolished they left plantations to live in town. And here in Paramaribo their descendants, the Creoles, present a most unusual sight.

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These women are wearing the unique Kotomisi-- the traditional dress of the Creole women of Suriname found no where else in the world. They're really not this fat. Actually they're wearing more than fifteen petticoats. In fact, the name 'Kotomisi' means "petticoat woman". The dresses are made of from 25 to 30 yards of stiffly starched cotton with the hem alone measuring more than 5 yards.

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Lisa Chickering: The most amusing aspect, though, of the entire dress is the hat.

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In most places in the world the mood of the woman can remain a mystery indeed, but not here.

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The way she ties her headdress in the back leaves no doubt to the onlooker, as each style of tying has a name that clearly indicates her thoughts and wishes for the day.

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For instance, each of these girls' moods vary quite a bit. This young woman seems to be in a provocative mood, this style of tying is called, "Wait for Me on the Corner". This one, "You'll See me Again".

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Her mood is a little more demure. This style of tying is called, "I Feel like a Butterfly".

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Often women are faced with just another humdrum day of housework and at such times no special message is intended. So this style - why, I don't know - is simply called "Dog Tail".

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This signifies a flippant, "go to... that certain hot place".

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Here's a direct appeal, "Hug Me Tight".

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The older women have their say too, only the message is quite a bit more sedate. This one means, "I'm fine, thank you".

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Here's a bold one, short and to the point, "Follow Me".

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And it looks as though her message got across.

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A plaintive plea from a market woman says, "Please come home".

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And another one that says, "I don't care".

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But of all the different ways of tying these headdresses, I think the most explicit one is this, "Keep your distance!". [[laughter]]

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No matter where one goes, most girls are usually interested in clothes and some of them here with a definite flair for style asked us if we'd like to see some of the newer type clothes they're wearing today.

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So we were delighted when they put on a little fashion show for us. One of the girls explained to Jeanne, how the styles, although modern, are inspired by and patterned after the traditional forms of dress worn in Suriname, such as this one, based on a Hindu Sari.

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Lisa Chickering: This dress is called the 'Modified Kotomisi', as was the first blue one you saw. It's changed quite a bit though from the traditional Kotomisi with the only sign of [[?]] being that little flounce around the waist. I'm sure wearing the traditional Kotomisis they don't have to watch their calories at all, but it would be a different story wearing this.

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The Javanese women's dresses have always had a straight line, without any fullness, as this one, patterend after it.

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The Hindus here venerate a statue of Gandhi as much they would in India.

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After the abolition of slavery, Hindustanis were imported under five-year contracts to work on the bereft plantations. And when their contracts expired, many chose to remain. And here their descendents still maintain the Indian customs.

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We felt very fortunate at being invited to a Hindu wedding, for it's a colorful ceremony we westerners rarely see.

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Here, the bride is being prepared. The painting of her face is done for purely decorative purposes, just as we women put on make-up and lipstick. But I certainly hope our styles never go quite this far... But now one never knows what might become fashionable.

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The Hindus here marry the ones of their own choice. But, as in India, a Hindu marriage can never be dissolved in divorce for any reason. They must try to solve their differences, or tolerate them, but not change them, which is pretty good advice.

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The ceremony commences as the groom, named Krishna, enters the marriage enclosure. His pundit, or priest, pours water over his hands to symbolize the washing away of all impurities. His drinking the water is to signify he accepts his bride forever, no matter what hardships may ensue.

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And in a Hindu wedding both the bride and the groom have their individual pundits. This ceremony dates back more than one thousand years and everything they do has a symbolic meaning.

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After waving the marriage bench over a fire which is a form of purifying it, Krishna waits for his bride, Radhika, to enter and sit beside him. And, as in our weddings, bridesmaids accompany the bride...

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Lisa Chickering: After the bride's pundit reads to them from their holy book, dough - signifying food and plenty - is placed in their hands in the promise to share everything together.

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The passing around of a tray with money on it is done in the hope of securing a prosperous marriage. Perhaps this is where the expression "passing the buck" came from.

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The fire symbolizes warmth and purity, the qualities their love must have. The popcorn poured into it and the colored rice surrounding it represent the desire for many children and a fertile land.

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The two families are united by tying the father of the groom to the mother of the bride. Whom he later consoles with the old adage, "she hasn't lost a daughter, but gained a son".

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And as Krishna and Radhika's story together just begins, our story about them ends.

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And not only can one feel in Suriname as though they are in India, but also China. For here the Chinese are the main shop owners and tradesmen. They have a thriving community of their own. When one goes out to the nearby rice paddies it's hard to believe that this is really the Western Hemisphere and not the Orient.

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The Chinese, also, were imported under five-year contracts to work on the plantations. In fact, they were the first foreign group brought to Suriname for this purpose.

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The last group brought in to work on the plantations where the Javanese. They have a civilization and culture dating back centuries in which music and dancing have always played an important role.

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[[music as intro & underscore]] Their unusual orchestras are made up entirely of percussion instruments. And with their exotic sound they accompany these young girls as they perform their highly stylized dance just as it was done in the ancient courts of the Kings of Java. [[music grows faster]]

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[[music as underscore continues]] With the applause of the crowd, the men now perform their dance with the same slow grace and unusual strength that typifies Javanese dancing.

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[[music example continues]]

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[[music as underscore]] The entire dance is symbolic. Here the story tells of the eternal struggle between good and evil.

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The dancer who represents 'good' is wearing wings. The arrows denote the forces of evil - sharp and destructive.

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But as in many stories, and in real life too, the faith and hope of people everywhere is that 'good' will triumph as it does in this dance. [[music as outro]]

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The biggest day of the whole year in Suriname is Freedom Day.

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Celebrated every July 1st to commemorate the July 1st of 1863 when slavery was officially abolished, this joyful event is marked by a variety of activities - one of them being a boat race between two teams of the best rowers.

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Crowds are here to cheer on their favorite team, in fact a good place to see from is hard to find, so even the tree tops are filled.

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Also in Government Square - as soon as the boat race is over, various games and contests for the children are held.

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Unlike our school year, the children here go to school during the summer months and have what they call their "big vacation" in September - the hottest month of the year when the temperature and humidity is well up in the 90s, so this is a big day for them, what with no school and these special games arranged for them.

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Education in Suriname is compulsory for those between ages of seven to twelve. After that those who wish, and who are able to pass the entrance exams, may continue on through what is comparable to our high school. Most of the children do go on.

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As for college, the majority of the students in the past have preferred going to Holland - but recently many have been coming here to the United States, too.

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Lisa Chickering: Well now, here is a wise race for the tropics - not the fastest, but the *slowest* rider takes the prize...

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Afraid there's no telling what these Junior Kotomisi Headresses mean... not for a while, at least...

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Something out of the ordinary is scheduled to take place almost hourly during this special day-- and by early afternoon the many people who have come from all parts of Paramaribo and the surrounding countryside fill the streets on their way to hear the Governor's annual Freedom Day address.

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Although Freedom Day is mainly significant for the Negroes and Creoles - for it was their forefathers who were freed from the inhuman bonds of slavery - nevertheless everyone joins in the celebration and today everyone is wearing their very best finery - and nowhere else will you ever see such elaborate arrays of finely starched handkerchieves... worn on people's heads...

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Well now, here's a woman though who believes in being a bit more practical... a pipe, a pot, and a bite to eat are enough for her ! [[audience laughter]]

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The Chinese have gathered for the occasion, as have the Hindus, but one of the most unusal sights of all was a group of Ameri-Indians who had come in from the interior for the day -- they were the original inhabitants of Suriname, but as more and more people came to the country they pushed further back into the interior to seek shelter from civilization... So now only rarely can one get even a glimpse of them.

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Of course the day wouldn't be complete without the grand finale of a big parade around Government Square. And this woman's dress is most appropriate for the occasion with the design being the broken chains of slavery.

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Even the bush negroes had come in from the interior for the day. Previously they used to come in wearing the type clothes they wear in their own villages-- mainly, nothing. But now, in order to enter the city they must dress and it looks like pieces of cloth and large colorful bath towels are their favorite bits of wearing apparel.

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Each group files past the Governmeor's Palace where he and his party view the whole spectacle from the balcony. The parade continued until nightfall with everyone thoroughly enjoying themselves.

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Lisa Chickering: Suriname is certainly a land of contrasts. Paramaribo has a surprisingly cosmopolitan Dutch air despite its being a stone's throw from the wild, primitive jungle where native indians still hunt with poison arrows and tribes of bush negros still practice ceremonial rights of their African ancestors, as we saw earlier.

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India, Africa, Java, China, and Holland all rolled into one little-known nation.

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Its flag best sums it up: on a white background symbolizing peace, five different colored stars represent the five different races, with an encompassing circle which joins them all together as one nation.

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This trip to the six islands in the country of Suriname really didn't take us a great distance from the United States, as distances go today, but still we felt as though we had been around the world on a most unforgettable journey. [[OUTRO: Fanfare Music]] [[applause]] [[auditorium "walla"]]