maroon
A Maroon (from the word marronage or American/Spanish cimarrón 'wild, savage, fugitive, runaway' - lit. 'living on mountaintops' - from Spanish cima - 'top, summit') was a runaway slave in the West Indies, Central America, South America, or North America. The jungles around the Caribbean Sea offered food, shelter, and isolation for the escaped slaves. There, the Maroons created their own independent communities which have survived for centuries.
Jamaican Maroons fought against slavery and for Jamaican Independence from the British. A famous Maroon rebel was Granny Nanny. She is the only female listed among Jamaican national heroes. Nanny was leader of the Jamaican Maroons in the 18th century. The Jamaican community has immortalized her in songs and legends. She was particularly important in the First Maroon War in the early 1700s. Granny Nanny was also known for her exceptional leadership skills. For example, she planned guerrilla warfare that confused the British.
from Wikipedia: Maroon (people)