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Katie Coty – Northern Times

What does Katie Coty mean?

July 1st is Ketty Koty, the day slavery was officially abolished in the former Dutch colony of Suriname. It means “broken chain” in the Surinamese language, Slanan Tongo (“Ketty” is similar to the Dutch word “Ketting”, which means “chain”). Keti Koti will be certified on his July 1st. Since around 2000, Keti Koti has been celebrated within the Dutch, especially within the Afro-Surinamese and Afro-Antilian communities.This year, the holiday was officially added to UNESCO’s Dutch inventory intangible cultural heritage.

When was slavery abolished in the former Dutch colonies?

Although slavery was officially abolished in Suriname and the Caribbean islands of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1863, most enslaved people in Suriname spent another decade working on plantations, albeit for a meager wage. forced to continue working in It was not until 1873 that slavery was really abolished in Suriname.

What is the relationship between the North and slavery?

A growing number of states and local governments are independently examining archives to uncover how their regions have historically profited from the slave trade.A book has been written about the traces of slavery groningen and frieslandand the Royal Secretary Jetta Kirnsma announced on 1 July that the province of Drenthe: Also explore its role in colonial times. The city of Groningen is currently conducting a similar study and the results will be published. later this year.

This video is from Spot TV It does a good job of explaining (in Dutch) what this holiday is and its direct relation to Groningen.

The city of Groningen played an important role in the trade of enslaved people. The city was he one of five where the Dutch West India Company was headquartered (at present-day Trainmore Gym near Akerk).

Train More Gym in Mnekeholm, former WIC headquarters in Groningen.

The WIC operated a triangular trade between West Africa and the Americas, exchanging goods produced in Europe with the enslaved people of Africa and bringing back in Suriname the cash crops they were forced to harvest. This year, in 2023, Memorial wreath laid at Ossenmarkt Groningen commemorates the victims of the Atlantic slave trade, followed by a two-minute silence.

Why is this year’s celebration so grand?

it is 150th It’s the anniversary of the official abolition of slavery, and the Dutch reflect on how the Golden Age was linked to the slave trade. July 1, 2023 King Willem-Alexander officially apologizes For the role of the Dutch in the trade of enslaved peoples and the suffering it caused.

“Today, as a King and as a member of my government, I take this opportunity to apologize, and I feel the weight of these words in my heart and soul,” the king said in a televised address at the National Slave Memorial in Amsterdam. Stated.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte Officially apologized in December 2022 (However, the timing and the circumstances leading up to the statement Criticized for lack of timing and consultation with stakeholders). “In today’s world, we must acknowledge the evils of slavery in the clearest terms possible and condemn it as a crime against humanity.”

But the apology still does not include promises or discussions of reparations or compensation. monetary compensation for the descendants of enslaved people.

How do black people in Holland feel about the king’s apology?

Linda Neutmer, president of NiNsee, the Dutch National Institute on Slavery and its Legacy, said: one world “The King’s apology has symbolic value that cannot be ignored.”

“It’s important for leaders to speak out on these issues,” she continued, adding that since Rutte’s speech in December, mayors of the municipalities where Neensi has set up the Ketty Coty Memorial Commission have called for the commemoration. He pointed out that they have started contacting them to inquire about holding the event. The committee must try to attract the attention of local politicians.

Yvette Forster, who organized the first Ketty Coty Festival in Amsterdam in 2009, says there is great value in this iconic act. “The King is the highest authority in Holland. Apologies have been neglected for years, which is why it’s important that he recognizes his slavery past.”

Is the Netherlands the first former European empire to apologize for its role in the slave trade?

No, but the Dutch King’s apology made him one of the first sitting monarchs to do so. UK’s Price William said:Deep sorrow‘” he said during a visit to Jamaica in 2022, without issuing a formal apology. The heads of state of Denmark, France and the United Kingdom “have either apologized or officially acknowledged slavery and the slave trade as crimes against humanity,” it said. euro newsand the president of portugal He also called on the country to apologize for its role in the slave trade.

Who in Holland Profited from the Slave Trade?

According to a recent Dutch study, state and slaveryThe three Dutch rulers of the Golden Age earned around €545 million through their roles as heads of state and military personnel. Between 17th and 19thOver the centuries, the Dutch were responsible for bringing about 600,000 people from Africa to America as slaves. In Asia, as many as one million people were enslaved and traded by the Dutch. fifth largest trader of enslaved people (followed by Portugal, England, France and Spain).

Owners of the enslaved people in Suriname, in addition to money earned from selling cash crops without paying wages to the enslaved people, eventually compensated For each person’s worth they claimed as their property after the abolition. Those who were once enslaved were not.

“After a decade of political debate, the Dutch government agreed to pay plantation owners 300 guilders for each former slave. Online surveys show these payments totaled 12 million guilders. , equivalent to about 10 percent of the total government budget. Investigative news platform Pointer.

of “Beyond Profitability: The Dutch Transatlantic Slave Trade and Its Economic ImpactKirwan Fatah-Brack and Matthias van Rossum, authors of “Such Voyages,” point out that the Dutch benefited not only from the slave trade and from crops, but also economically. led to additional activities such as shipbuilding and the production of trade goods.” According to this article, between 1675 and 1800, Dutch gross profits (gross profit compared to earnings) in the Caribbean and Guyanese slave trade were up to 79 million guilders (about 40 million euros).

Which country was part of the Dutch colonial empire?

In Asia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, parts of Malaysia, Japan, Iran and Pakistan were colonized by the Dutch. In Africa, South America and the Caribbean, South Africa, Suriname, Curacao, New Guinea, parts of Brazil, the Virgin Islands and Tobago were part of the Dutch Empire. The current constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands are the Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten (and her three public bodies: Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba).

Photo credit: Wikimedia Creative Commons



https://northerntimes.nl/who-what-when-where-why-keti-koti/ Katie Coty – Northern Times

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