The Bushiningue people of French Guiana

One of the largest ethnic groups of French Guiana is the Bushiningue. The word Bushiningue is actually a generic word that refers to the ancestors of the African slaves who risked their lives and fled from the sugar plantations in Surinam and into the jungle, often crossing over into French Guiana territory. These peoples have passed down their old traditions from generation to generation and still speak "Sranan Tongo" as their mother tongue. This was the language used on the Surinamese plantations centuries ago as the slaves weren't allowed to speak Dutch.

The Bushiningue are divided into many tribes such as the Aluku, Saramaca, the Boni, and more. They live mostly in western French Guiana, near the border with Surinam, but more and more live today in the cities of Cayenne and Kourou.

I have a lot of Bushiningue students at school and I've already learned a few Sranan Tongo words.

In the video below, I wanted to share with you the reality of French Guiana. A famous Bushiningue singer has just released a new song and the music video depicts traditional Bushiningue villages and dances. The video gives you also some high-quality images of what French Guiana looks like... Even if you don't like the song, please enjoy the dances and nature views.