The Indians of Kuna Yala

The Kunas are a strongly-knit tribal society living on a chain of islands called the San Blas Archipielago, on the Atlantic side of the Republic of Panama and Colombia.  The Kunas number approximately 50,000-70,000, the majority living on the Kuna Yala Islands, and on the mainland in Madugandí and Wargandí reservations, while a small percentage live in Panama City.

In the Kuna language, the name is Dule or Tule, meaning “people,” and the name of the language in Kuna is Dulegaya, meaning “people-talk.”

Believed to be descendants of the Caribs, the Kuna Indians still live in much the same manner as their ancestors. The Kuna people have cleverly managed to retain their tribal identity and contentedly lead a moral balanced life, free from the complexities of modern, highly-organized societies.

In Kuna Yala, each community has its own political organization, led by a Sahila (pronounced “sai-lah”). The Sahila is traditionally both the political and spiritual leader of the community; he memorizes songs which relate the sacred history of the people, and in turn transmits them to the people.

The Kuna have a matriarchal society in which the line of inheritance passes through the women. A young man, after marriage, must live in his mother-in-law’s house and work for several years under apprenticeship to his father-in-law. Divorce is uncommon, although it requires no more than the husband to gather his clothes and move out of the house. The daughters of the Kuna people are prized because they will eventually bring additional manpower into the family.

The Kuna are famous for their molas, a colorful textile art form made with the techniques of applique and reverse appliqué. Mola panels are used to make the blouses of the Kuna women’s national dress, which is worn daily by many Kuna women. Mola means “clothing” in the Kuna language. The Kuna word for a mola blouse is Tulemola, (or “dulemola”) “Kuna people’s clothing.”

The traditional dress of the women in the San Blas is spectacular. The gold nose rings, beaded arm and leg bans, heard scarves,  blue sarongs and the colorful mola blouses worn in combination are a work of art in itself. The Kuna men have adopted a clothing style more traditional to the men of the western world and appear drab beside the Kuna women.

The Kuna have a custom for every event and happening in their life and these customs are passed on to their children through dances and chants. These events are also documented in their molas.

The economy of Kuna Yala is based on agriculture and fishing, with a long tradition of international trade. Plantains, coconuts, and fish form the core of the Kuna diet, supplemented with imported foods, a few domestic animals, and wild game.  Coconuts, called ogob in the Kuna language, and lobsters are the most important export products, and migrant labor and the sale of molas provide other sources of income. Most imported goods originate from Colombian ships and are sold in retail stores owned by Kuna people. Tourism is an important part of the economy in the Carti region.

The Kunas have the most advanced political system of any tribal group in Latin America, and possible the world.  They have three chiefs who manage village politics and a series of meetings called Congresos; they hold elections throughout the reservation and at a national level as well.

On a recent visit to Plaza de Francia at Casco Viejo, I had the opportunity to take a picture of an old Kuna woman.  She was wearing their traditional brightly-colored attire.  This is what what I saw at Las Bóvedas on a cool Sunday morning.  Here we go.

Photograph of an old Kuna woman at Plaza de Francia in the Casco Viejo with her full traditional attire. (Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

The same previous photograph, but artistically enhanced by professional photographer Michael Moore. (Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

A vacation in Panama would not be complete without a visit to the Kuna Yala Islands on the San Blas Archipielago.  The beauty and enchantment of the more than 400 islands will knock your socks off.  Good Day.

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