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Book: FIRST - TIME: The Historical Vision of an African American PeopleRichard PriceThe University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 1983, 2002

Reviewer: Donnie Ashley LongUniversity of Arizona

Having generally written on Maroons in the South American country of Suriname, Richard Price

approaches the subject of oral history with expertise. His book entitled First – Time: The Historical

Vision of an African American People is thoughtfully constructed in a way that the reader can grasp the

folklores of the Saramakas people. It will be a frustration and an inspiration to fellow historians and

anthropologists; it must surely become the standard longer history of Suriname and French Guiana; and I

can recommend it to those who have never learned of these countries. Although it is only 180 pages long,

it offers a variety in material such as religion, deception, heroism, adversity, love, war, and even some

particular humor; the usual textile that runs along with the history of any civilization. In all, this book is a

challenge to communicate something of the Saramakas’ own special vision of their seminal years.

Richard Price illustrates very well in his writing First – Time that being a professional

anthropologists/historian can be complex. It requires much traveling, to areas around the world you may

not be content with. Anthropologists/historians may find or be presented with scarce information about

your subject that may have gaps in its credibility, which places them in a state of frustration. This, and

the fact that spending extended lengths of time in a particular area and having to talk with several

different people to obtain proper intelligence, creates a stressful lifestyle. It ‘appears’ in First – Time that

the author has a passion for his work. Price has completed field research in many areas of Latin

America: Vicos, Peru (1961); Andalusia (1964); Zinacantan, Mexico (1965, 1966); Suriname (1966-1968,

1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979); French Guiana (1987, 1990-1992, 1995, 1997, 2000-); Martinique (1962-

1963, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1990- ). He received his Bachelor of Arts in History and Literature from

Harvard University in 1963; Ph.D. in Social Anthropology. He has served as Visiting Professor at two

Universities in Brazil and is currently the Duane A. and Virginia S. Dittman Professor of American

Studies, Anthropology, and History at the College of William & Mary; a position he has held since 1994.

He has published several books and has won five book prizes; including the Elsie Clews Parsons Prize for

First – Time. This book was perhaps one of the author’s most challenging projects. Price is telling the

history of Saramakas’ through their view and what he believes to be historically sound and accurate.

What Richard Price has done is to record the oral history of the Saramaka in this book. The

Saramaka are of the six Maroon tribes of Suriname. He records the tribe’s history from 1685 to the Peace

of 1762, an age in which their ancestors were sold as slaves, escaped from plantations, established

communities as “Bush Negros”, and repeatedly resisted European attempts to conquer and sometimes

destroy them. During this era, the knowledge known as “First - Time” provides an agreement almost like

a marriage for Saramaka clans, their rights to land, the basis of politics, and the relationships between

groups. It is an extremely elite and restricted knowledge that requires much patience. It can be both

powerful in implication but can be equally dangerous. Richard Price learned that the basic ideological

context of First – Time was: “First-Time kills”, “Never tell another more than half of what you know,”

and “Those times [meaning the days of war or the days of slavery] shall come again.” First – Time also

transformed itself into a rebellion against the whitefolk and became the base of their history through

slavery and freedom.

When writing this book, Price had to be aware of the troubles that might come about with the

Saramaka by the literal publication of their sacred knowledge. There are certainly severe consequences

that coincide with the documentation of certain names. There is a script on pg. 43 where Peléki is

conversing with Price about the Matjáu’s first great leader, Lánu. He says that his name is rarely spoken

because it is so powerful. It is at this point that the reader can be confused on why Price would put a

name so revered in his book, although it is not used on the oral level. Price must really believe in the

reader that they will not disrespect him or the Saramaka by using that name (I know I won’t because I

cannot even pronounce it). Another consequence in this publication on Saramaka’s oral history is it will

destroy the traditional method of succeeding to the next generation. For centuries, this has been the way

for this Maroon tribe. I would believe by recording the history, it defeats the whole purpose of tradition.

If a Saramakan wanted to know their history and they were impatient to receive it from the elders, they

could purchase a book (however it seems you would receive more knowledge the traditional way). Price

gives his reasons for going full throttle with the book and goes to great and many efforts to anticipate the

chances of these problems occurring. I am not sure when, but there is a point in the book where he

encourages the reader to believe in him and asks for collaboration in respecting the way of the Saramaka

tribe. Even so the reader feels they have automatically been entrusted with this great responsibility, even

though they are not that intimate with the Saramaka. I chose to go along with the author, but I am left in

the dark on how the Saramaka people will react with this publication. What we are told is that they have

a great respect for the printed word; it is even suggested that writing may have a magical quality among

them. However, it is not clear what functions are attached to certain forms of literacy among the

Saramaka. For example, Price mentions in passing that several Saramaka are having First – Time

materials written down by their own school-educated children, while others have even had them

published, albeit in what he calls ‘sterilized’ versions. What I am signifying is that although we have

been given enough information here to know that the Saramaka lack superiority about the use of literacy,

we are not given enough to share fully in Price’s concern for what may happen as a result of this book. In

any case, I do not think it demerits the book to say that although Price is addressing outside readers in the

clearest way possible, he often conveys the sense that he is the first of all writing for the Saramaka.

The presentation of the Saramaka’s oral materials in this book is excellent in its honesty,

integrity, organization and in its consistency with clarity. Price does a very odd but interesting set up of

his book. He divides his book in two parts; Upper Channel (Garamond Book Type) carries the text;

Lower Channel (Garamond Light Type) carries Price’s commentaries. The actual pages are set up with

the commentaries on top and the text on the bottom. The author suggests that the reader follow the text

first of a section, then read the commentaries, then go back and read the text again with the commentaries

in mind. This actually appears beneficial, however do to time constraints, I chose to read both texts

simultaneously. Although I chose not to read the book as the author would have liked, I found this

contribution by Price, to be the idiosyncrasy that makes him stand out. By doing this double dialogue the

reader gets a sense on what the Saramaka clan was going through at certain times and how they evolved

into different regions. What Price has provided is another narrator in the book, with the reader being the

additional narrator. I am a historian myself and I must say that this is prevailing process. It gives Price

and the Saramaka even more credibility and integrity.

While Price’s double dialogue can make it simpler to understand First – Time, there is a concern

about Saramaka names and terms. As I was reading, it became apparent that I possessed little knowledge

on the correct pronunciation of the names that were given in the stories, folklores, and the like. At this

point I began to wonder Price’s intentions of the reader to grasp the book. Are the names and many

places irrelevant that we do not have to pronounce them correctly? I believe that if I had some

information on how to pronounce names such as Gáanlío and Kaási or places like Bákakúun and

Muyánwóyo, I would have enhanced the reader’s connection with the characters. However, Price does a

superb job by providing several maps and illustrations to his text in order to provide a visual

understanding. Some of the pictures, like “A Negro hung alive by the Ribs to a Gallows”, provide the

reader with the horrors of slavery for the Saramakas and why they chose to escape into the surrounding

forest. Overall Price’s style and presentation of First – Time was atypical and remarkable.

First – Time indeed is first of its kind. Although it appears Richard Price almost stepped over the

line with concerns in keeping oral Saramaka traditions, he presents a well oiled publication that allows

you to see the Saramaka history through their experiences. For anyone who has the patience and wants to

learn about illiterate cultures, I would highly recommend this book. It is not dry and dull like many

history books, although it offers a lot commentary. To anyone who wants to make a career of being an

Anthropologist or a Historian, Richard Price exemplifies in First – Time how you connect a private and

clandestine group to the rest of the world.

Citations

Richard Price Curriculum Vitae at http://www.richandsally.net/newsletter.htm

First – Time: The Historical Vision of an African American People

Richard PriceThe University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 1983, 2002