““Spiritu di Martis di Katalina Janga ta bibu” (Papiamentu)

James Finies

Nos Ke Boneiru Bek

(English translation below)

Dialuna 10 di november 1834, 180 anja pasa katibu Martis di Katalina Janga, den plantage di gobiernu pariba na Rinkon, a disidi ku ta basta i no ta sigui asepta e trato inhumano i preshon di e bombanan ku sla di zwip pa forsa nan traha mas duru i ta rebeldía. Martis ta lanta su chapi kontra e bomba pa defende su mes i deklara ku e no lo asepta mas sla, i mester di espasio, si no e lo okashona un aksidente i no ta importe pa muri pasobra no ta bale la pena biba aki.

E bomabanan, ku ta di mesun rasa i desidiensa afrikano i ta katibu pero ta hanja sierto previligionan pa fungi komo hefe, i ta wordu konsidera traidor, a hanja ordu pa mara Martis i hibe forti. Pero un grupo di katibunan balente a sali na defensa di Martis ta uni na e lucha. Nan tambe ta di akuerdo i disidido meskos ku Martis, ku no ta nada malu nan a hasi, ta nan derecho nan ta buska, i no lo asepta i no lo sigui nan ordu.

E grupo balente aki di nos antepasadonan a mustra ku e Boneriano ku semper a wordu kalifika komo hendenan sumiso i humilde tambe tin su limite i un dia e lo no asepta mas inhustisia i lo para pa su derechonan i eksigi libertat.

1 juli 1863 Hulanda a aboli esklabitud, kasi un siglo después di tur otro nashonan Oropeo, i a kuminsa nos proseso di emansipashon. Na 1948 Hulanda, después di a wordu libera for di e okupashon Nazi pa e aliadonan, bao di preshon di e aliadonan a firma den Nashonan Uni akuerdonan di dekolonisashon i autodeterminashon pa nos bira donjo di isla di Boneiru i goberna nos mes i pa nos kuminsa ku kreashon di nos mes nashon, manteniendo nos mes idioma, norma i balornan, kustumbernan, kultura i identidat. Na 1954 nos ta hanja autonomía huntu otro islanan di Antias. Na 10-10-10 despues di enganjo i manipulashon di e pueblo Boneriano, ta destrui i disolve Antias, dividi e pueblonan Antiano, i ta entrega e isla di Boneiru ilegalmente bek na e kolonisado Hulanda. Hulanda ta goberna i domina nos for di Den Haag, manera tabata e kaso prome ku 1954, i nos ta perde nos autonomía i ta stop nos proseso di emansipashon komo pueblo Boneriano. 

Dialuna 10 november 2014, 180 anja después, e spiritu di lucha di Martis di Katalina Janga ta bibu i un grupo di residentenan Boneriano determina i konsiente di nan derechonan ta lanta atrobe i bai kana e kaminda o ruta di emansipashon, pa libertat, igualdat i fraternidat, aki di nobo bek pa demonstra i protesta i eksigi nos derecho i isla Boneiru bek pa sigui dilanti, desaroya, pero manteniendo nos autonomía i derechonan hereda i atkeri.

Un dia largu e grupo aki na honor di nos herue Martis di Katalina Janga lo lastima i sakrifika nan mes pa derechonan di e pueblo Boneriano i lo marcha, sali diadomingo 9 november for di kasnan di katibu na salinja i pasa den tur bario di Boneiru i bin termina, dialuna 10 november na “De Rhee” Playa i eksigi e derecho inalienabel i esklusivo di e pueblo Boneriano di por papia i skohe su mes futuro i destino.

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“The spirit of Martis di Katalina Janga is alive”

Monday, November 10th 1834, 180 years ago slave Martis di Katalina Janga, in the east plantation of the government in Rinkon, decided that is enough and will no more accept more inhuman treatment and pressure from the slavemaster thru whiplash forcing them to work harder, stood up and rebel. Martis raise his hoe. against the slavemaster to defend himself and declared that he will no loner accept more whiplash, and need more space, otherwise he will create a accident and he donot care to die because it is not worth living here.

The slavemasters, that are of the same race, African roots and are slaves themselves but receives certain privileges to function as supervisor, and are considered traitors, has received the order to chain Martis and take him to the fort. But a group of brave slaves has come forward in defense of Martis and unite themselves to the rebellion. They also are agreeing and are decisive as Martis, that they did nothing wrong, their rights they are seeking, and will not accept and will not follow their orders.

This group of our brave ancestors has shown that the Bonerian that always has been known as submissive and humble also has its limit and one day he will no accept more injustice and will stand for his rights and demand freedom.

July 1, 1863 Holland abolished slavery, almost one century after all other European nations, and we started our emancipation process. In 1948 Holland, after being liberated from the Nazi’s by the Allied forces, under pressure of the Allies has signed in the United Nations the decolonization and self-determination agreements, and the island of Bonaire become ours to govern ourselves and start building our own nation, maintaining our own language,norms and values, traditions,culture and identity. 

In 1954 we got autonomy together with the other Antillean islands. On October 10, 2010 through deceit and manipulation of the Bonerian peoples, our country Netherlands Antilles is destroyed and disloved, dividing the Antilean peoples, and our island Bonaire is surrendered illegally back to our colonizer Holland. Holland is governing and ruling us from The Hague, as it was before 1954, and we have lost our autonomy and our emancipation process as the Bonerian peoples stopped.

Monday, November 10th, 2014, 180 years later, the spirit of fight of Martis di Katalina Janga is alive and a group of Bonerian people determined and conscious of their rights will rise again and will walk again the emancipation journey, for freedom, equality and brotherhood, and will demonstrate and protest and demand our rights and our island Bonaire back, to move forward, develop, but maintaining our autonomy and our inherited and acquired rights.

One day long this group in honour of our hero Martis di Katalina Janga will sacrifice themselves for the rights of the Bonerian peoples and march, starting on Sunday November 9th from the slavehuts by the saltsponds, passing through the neighbourhoods of Bonaire and finish Monday November 10th, at center of the city, Playa, and demand the inalienable and exclusive rights of the Bonerian peoples to speak and choose their own future and destiny.