Emily Kiburz-Grimes recently served as a learning and development specialist for Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s CLUB in Lincoln, Nebraska. A professional educator certified as a teacher of English Language Learners (ELL), she worked in the position after more than 10 years in the Lincoln Public Schools. Emily Kiburz-Grimes enjoys travel and exploring different cultures and learning about their history, and has visited numerous destinations in North and South America as well as Europe.
Just a short flight from the southern US, Jamaica is an island nation about 90 miles south of Cuba. After Christopher Columbus visited the island in the late 15th century, it suffered a cruel period of European rule which decimated the native Arawak and Taino populations. Slaves were imported from Africa, and many managed to escape into the rain forest in the eastern part of the island, known as cockpit country.
What made cockpit country especially safe for escaping Maroons, as the people were named, continues to fascinate. The terrain resembles an overturned egg carton, with arrays of conical hills, some as high as 120 meters, surrounded by steep-walled hollows and depressions. Cockpit country was easily defended, as it provided excellent natural cover and concealment.
The Maroons established small settlements in cockpit country, where as many as 5,000 of their descendants still live in near autonomy. The area remains largely wilderness, however, and there are movements in Jamaican society to preserve the entire area as a World Heritage Site. More information about cockpit country and the island of Jamaica is available at cockpitcountry.com.
