Jose Ruiz, his slave master and sugar farmer placed Pieh and the other Sierra Leoneans aboard his ship, which he called Amistad, meaning ‘friendship’ in Spanish for a short trip to his plantation. On the third day at sea, Pieh managed to break his chain with the help of a nail and release his companions and armed them with knives. A captain was killed, the rest of the small crewmembers were held captives and the La Amistad was instructed to return back to Sierra Leone.

The captain and crew who were held hostage deceived Pieh and navigated the ship to North America where they were later arrested by the US Navy and detained. A US court heard their case and they were later set free. This was believed to be a turning point in the US slave trade.

The above story was later adapted into a movie by celebrated movie director Steven Spielberg. Nominated for Academy Awards, Amistad, starring Morgan Freeman, and Anthony Hopkins, Djimon Hounsou won several awards and generated millions of dollars.

Sengbe Pieh or Joseph Cinque as he is better known in US was honored with a monument in US for his bravery and his courageous story is still thought in different universities curriculum across US.

However, in his homeland, Sierra Leone, the name Sengbe Pieh is strange to many. It is unlikely that a university graduate will know anything to say if quizzed about Pieh except that he will tell you that he knows him as the man in the Le10, 000 note. As part of celebrations marking the 50th Independent Anniversary, the ‘Bonth family’ an organization, which comprises indigenes that were born in the same town Pieh was born, said they would honor the ‘Amistad’ hero.

Floyd Davis, deputy head of the ‘Bonth family’ said that they would organize a reburial ceremony of Sengbe Pieh. “What most people don’t know is that this celebrated hero was buried at the Poro secret society bush in Bonth,”Davis said.

Davis said at present, one must be a member of that secret society to be able to visit the gravesite of the Amistad hero. He said they will soon organize a reburial ceremony of the late Senge Pieh and a mausoleum will be erected in his honor, which will give access to the public.

“The white man has honored Sengbe Pieh in their own way. It is our time to do it in our own way,” Davis said.

Mr. Davis said their organization also aims to give a face-lift to Sengbe Pieh’s hometown, which will enable it to be a hot spot for tourists. “We want to explore the tourist potential of Bonth for economic growth and sustainable development to increase revenue generation and improved standard of living of residents in Bonth.”