Papaichton
Papaichton (unofficial spelling Papaïchton with a trema) is a commune in the overseas region and department of French Guiana. The village lies on the shores of the Lawa River. Papaichton is served by the Maripasoula Airport. The village which is the seat of the commune was named Papaichton-Pompidouville in honour of the president Pompidou who invited Granman Tolinga to the Élysée in 1971. The commune is located on the border with Suriname. Papaichton is home to some of the Aluku people and the seat of their granman (paramount chief). The indigenous Wayana village of Abunasunga is also located  in the Papaichton commune. History. Around 1710, Slaves escape from the plantations in Suriname, and band together in tribes. A tribe calling itself Aluku settled in Cottica over the border in Suriname. In 1760, the Ndyuka, another Maroon tribe, signed a peace treaty with the Society of Suriname allowing them autonomy. Boni also desired a peace treaty, but the Society of Suriname, despite contrary advice from the Dutch government, wanted to persecute and destroy the Aluku. Between 1768 and 1793, the Boni wars started in which the Ndyuka side with the Dutch colonists, and it resulted in many Alukus seeking  refuge in France on the other side of the Maroni River. In 1895, the village was founded by Granman Ochi. At the time, Boniville was the capital of Aluku tribe. In 1930, the territory of Inini was founded, with Papaichton as one of the administrative divisions. The territory of Inini allowed for an autonomous and self sufficient tribal system for the Maroons without clear borders. In 1946, French Guiana departmentalised, and the territory of Inini became an arrondissement. In 1965, Granman Tolinga moved the capital of the tribe from Boniville to Papaichton. In 1968, the municipal circle of Grand-Santi -Papaichton was created, and a year later became a commune. Along with the commune, came a government structure, and francisation. Most importantly, it led to the concentration in bigger villages and the near abandonment of smaller settlements. In 1976 the communes separated in Apatou and Grand-Santi-Papaichton, and finally in 1993, Papaichton became an independent commune. Transport. Papaichton can only be accessed by air, or boat via the Maroni river. The unpaved path between Maripasoula and Papaichton will be turned into a proper road. Road work has commenced on 20 July 2020 and is scheduled to be completed by  2021. There are plans to extent the Route Nationale from Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni to Maripasoula, however the Route Nationale currently ends south of Apatou. Construction of the missing section is scheduled for 2021. Incident at Loka. Loka is a hamlet in the commune of Papaichton. In April 2006, 14 people of the same family, including 12 children, were found dead, believed to be the result of carbon monoxide poisoning. Cottica Mountain. The commune is dominated by the Cottica Mountain, which rises to a height of 744 metres. The mountain was ignored by scientists until 2005 when two naturalists started  investigating the area, and discovered a remarkable biodiversity. In 2014, an area of was designated as ZNIEFF, an important natural environment.