The Ndyuka people (also spelled 'Djuka') or Aukan people (Okanisi), are one of six Maroon peoples (formerly called "Bush Negroes", which also has pejorative tinges) in the Republic of Suriname and one of the Maroon peoples in French Guiana.

Ndyuka / ə n ˈ dʒ uː k ə /, also called Aukan, Okanisi, Ndyuka tongo, Aukaans, Businenge Tongo (considered by some to be pejorative), Eastern Maroon Creole, or Nenge is a creole language of Suriname and French Guiana, spoken by the Ndyuka people.

Ndyuka is an English-based creole spoken in parts of Suriname and French Guiana by about 67,000 people. In Suriname it is spoken in east of the country in the districts of Brokopondo, Commewijne, Marowijne, Para and Sipaliwini.

Apr 5, 2025 · The Ndyuka are one of the largest Maroon ethnic groups, and their culture, beliefs, and aesthetic styles are similar to, but vary slightly from, that of the other five Maroon peoples of the Guianas. The Ndyuka speak a Creole language unique to …

The Afaka script (afaka sikifi) is a syllabary of 56 letters devised in 1910 for the Ndyuka language, an English-based creole of Suriname. The script is named after its inventor, Afáka Atumisi. It continues to be used to write Ndyuka in the 21st century, but the literacy rate in the language for all scripts is under 10%. [citation needed]

Since the 1970s, Ndyuka art has become more specialized and commercially-oriented. The elaborate woodcarvings made by Ndyuka men, traditionally made as gifts for their women, are now produced with lesser quality to sell in the capital city of Paramaribo, or in French Guiana, mainly to tourists.

The Ndyuka live in the northern extension of the Amazon rain forest in the Marowijne (Maroni) river basin, which is shared by the Republic of Suriname and French Guiana in South America. The heartland of Ndyuka territory is considered to be the lower part of the Tapanahoni River, a tributary of the Marowijne.

Jun 26, 2013 · The Ndyuka people, also known as Aukan people or Okanisi sama, are a Maroon Ndyuka creole-speaking ethnic group who live in the deep, interior of the rain forests of Eastern part of Suriname and french Guiana.

The Ndyuka people (also spelled 'Djuka') or Aukan people or Okanisi, are one of six Maroon peoples (formerly called "Bush Negroes", which also has pejorative tinges) in the Republic of Suriname and one of the Maroon peoples in French Guiana. The Aukan or Ndyuka speak the Ndyuka language.

Welcome to the webpage dedicated to the Okanisi, also known as Ndyuka! The Okanisi Form the largest Maroon group in Suriname and have a rich cultural history that goes back to the time of slavery and their fight for freedom.