The Slave Huts of Bonaire and the History of Salt Slavery

The small stone cabins beside Bonaire's southern salt pans are easy to pass without understanding why they are there. Their walls are rough, their doorways low, and their interiors barely large enough for a few people. They were not built as homes in the usual sense. Known as the Slave Huts of Bonaire, they were constructed in 1850 and 1851 for enslaved workers who harvested salt under Dutch colonial rule, which is located off the north coast of South America.

The historic slave huts beside Bonaire's southern salt pans were where enslaved Africans once worked harvesting salt during Dutch colonial rule.

Salt shaped much of Bonaire's colonial economy. The island was blessed with shallow coastal lagoons, bright sunshine and steady winds, making it ideal for salt production by evaporation. Seawater was collected in shallow pans that dried slowly, leaving crystals which workers gathered, carried and prepared for shipment. The most productive salt pans were in the south, including the Blue Pan, White Pan and Orange Pan. Much of the arduous physical work was performed by enslaved Africans, many of whom were owned by the colonial government.

The work was exhausting. In 1835, Catholic clergyman Martinus Niewindt described the conditions in a report to the Dutch authorities. Workers stood for hours in salt water, exposed to intense sunlight. Their feet and legs were covered with painful sores, and their hardship was worsened by a lack of shelter and poor living conditions. Some slept outdoors or in makeshift shelters made from wooden posts covered with straw.

Many enslaved workers lived in Rincon, a settlement in the northern part of Bonaire. Reaching the southern salt pans meant a journey of several hours on foot. Historical accounts describe a weekly walk between Rincon and the pans, with workers spending much of the working week away from their families. In August 1850, some of the workforce was moved to Mundo Nobo, closer to the salt-producing area. This relocation reduced the distance workers had to travel, but it also kept them closer to their forced work.

The stone huts followed in late 1850 and early 1851. Built at White Pan and Orange Pan, they were made from coral stone and lime mortar. Their approximate dimensions were 1.5 by 2 metres, with a height of about 1.5 metres. The cabins were deliberately small. According to historical research, the workers preferred separate or shared-by-two sleeping spaces rather than larger communal shelters. They could also keep their food, clothing and personal belongings inside. These modest improvements did not change the nature of the forced labour system.

The four coloured obelisks along the southern coast are part of the same salt-producing landscape. They were erected during the 1830s to help ships identify the different loading areas. Their colours — white, blue, orange and red — corresponded to the salt pans. The markers were practical structures, helping vessels approaching the low coastline find the correct place to load salt. Sources differ on whether they were erected in 1837 or 1838, so an exact year is best avoided.

Slavery was abolished in the Dutch Caribbean on July 1, 1863. On Bonaire, 758 enslaved people received their freedom, including 607 who had belonged to the colonial government. Salt harvesting did not stop immediately. Paid workers continued the manual work for many decades, and the cabins probably remained in use as daytime shelters until the 1950s or 1960s.

First Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Small stone cabins built for enslaved workers who harvested salt at Bonaire's southern salt pans during Dutch colonial rule.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The historic stone huts at Pekelmeer housed enslaved workers who harvested salt under Dutch colonial rule.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The surviving slave huts beside the Pekelmeer salt pans, built for enslaved workers who harvested salt during Dutch colonial rule.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The surviving stone huts near Bonaire’s salt pans, a reminder of the enslaved people who harvested salt under Dutch colonial rule.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The huts are still standing beside the salt pans, but the people who once used them left few personal records. The surviving buildings do not easily reveal their names, family lives, and individual experiences. What remains is a row of small shelters connected to a much larger history: the production of salt through forced labour. To understand Bonaire's past, these cabins deserve attention alongside the salt industry they once served.

References & Sources

• Life at the Salty Edge of Empire (2022) – International Journal of Historical Archaeology — principal academic source.
• Witte Pan – Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency — hut construction and historical conditions.
• Slave Huts and Obelisks – Tourism Corporation Bonaire — official historical description.
• Bonaire Management Plan – STINAPA — heritage and conservation context.
• Under Company and State: Enslaved Families on Bonaire, 1758–1863