Paloemeu or Palumeu is an Amerindian village in the interior of

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

, situated at the site where the

Paloemeu River Paloemeu River or Palumeu River is a river in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. It joins the Tapanahony River at the village of Paloemeu. See also *List of rivers of Suriname A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also ...

joins the

Tapanahoni River The Tapanahony River (sometimes called Tapanahoni) is a major river in the south eastern part of Suriname, South America. The river originates in the Southern part of the Eilerts de Haan Mountains, near the border with Brazil. It joins the Marowijn ...

. Most inhabitants of the village are native Tiriyó Amerindians. The remainder belongs to the

Wayana The Wayana (alternate names: Ajana, Uaiana, Alucuyana, Guaque, Ojana, Oyana, Orcocoyana, Pirixi, Urukuena, Waiano etc.) are a Carib-speaking people located in the southeastern part of the Guiana highlands, a region divided between Brazil, Surina ...

, and Aparai tribes. The Bosatlas in 1968 identified the village as ''Pepejoe'' which was incorrect according to the New West Indian Guide.

Overview

The village was visited three times by '' basiya'' Lodewijk Schmidt, a

Saramaka The Saramaka, Saamaka or Saramacca are one of six Maroon peoples (formerly called "Bush Negroes") in the Republic of Suriname and one of the Maroon peoples in French Guiana. In 2007, the Saramaka won a ruling by the Inter-American Court of Hum ...

Maroon from

Gansee Ganzee (also Gansee) is a former village in the Brokopondo District of Suriname. The village was home to Maroons of the Saramaka tribe, and located on the Suriname River. In 1965, the village was flooded after the construction of the Afobaka ...

, who had been hired by the Surinamese government to contact and map the Amerindians living in the interior of Suriname. On 18 January 1942, during his third expedition, Schmidt van Gansee installed Joeloe as the first Captain of the Tiriyó on

. The village chief in 2022 was Essikeo Japawai. Paloemeu is home to a primary school, and a

Medische Zending Medische Zending Primary Health Care Suriname, commonly known as Medische Zending (Dutch for "medical mission") or MZ is a Surinamese charitable organization offering primary healthcare to remote villages in the interior of Suriname. History The ...

healthcare centre. Paloemeu can be reached by the river or via the

Vincent Fayks Airport Vincent Fayks Airstrip , in Paloemeu, Suriname. The airport was constructed as part of Operation Grasshopper. It was named after the Polish pilot Vincent Fajks who crashed with co-pilot Ronald Kappel with their Aero Commander AC 520 (PZ-TAG) a ...

. The 718 metre high

Kasikasima Kasikasima, also spelt Kassikassima, is a mountain in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. It is high. The village of Paloemeu and its Vincent Fayks Airport are north, and are the entry point for canoe ride tours to the mountain provided by se ...

mountain is located about from the village. The journey will take 3 to 7 hours by boat. There is a jungle

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds ...

resort on the

Tapanahony River The Tapanahony River (sometimes called Tapanahoni) is a major river in the south eastern part of Suriname, South America. The river originates in the Southern part of the Eilerts de Haan Mountains, near the border with Brazil. It joins the Marowijn ...

for tourists.

Energy

Since the early 2000s there have been efforts to construct a

micro hydro Micro hydro is a type of hydroelectric power that typically produces from 5 kW to 100 kW of electricity using the natural flow of water. Installations below 5 kW are called pico hydro. These installations can provide power to an i ...

electric power plant in the Panato creek to provide Paloemeu with electricity. These efforts were initiated by the Dutch entrepreneur Arnout van de Werken. Several difficulties, including the flooding of the small reservoir in 2005, have hampered the project. As of 2014, Palumeu still does not have full day electricity, and continues to rely on the few hours of diesel-generated electricity provided by the government.

Notes

References

* {{Surinamese District Sipaliwini Indigenous villages in Suriname Populated places in Sipaliwini District