Why "Maroons"

Someone in class today asked why the people of African and Native American decent in colonial Louisiana were called Maroons. After doing little to no research, I found this article on Maroon culture, which promptly addresses the etymology of the name. The name "Maroon" comes from the Spanish word "cimmaron" meaning "wild or untamed." The name is largely referring to escaped slaves. Therefore, when African slaves escaped from the custody of the plantation owners and joined up with groups of Native Americans, the name stuck with them as well as their mixed race descendants.