PANAMA: Guna Yala The Indigenous Home Of The Kuna People

Guna Yala, formerly known as San Blas, is an indigenous province in northeast Panama. Guna Yala is home to the indigenous group known as the Gunas. Its capital is El Porvenir.

It is bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea, on the south by the Darien Province and Embera-Wounaan, on the east by Colombia, and on the west by the province of Colon.

The area was the site of the conquistador stronghold of Acla, where Vasco Nunez de Balboa was tried and beheaded.

By the Colombian Act of June 4, 1870 Tulenega Shire was created, which also included the present territory of the Guna Yala district; this comprises some of the communities of the District of Wargandí such as Mordi, and Sogubdi Asnadi; the communities of the region of Madungandi including Tiuarsicua, and Guna communities of Colombia, such as Tanela and Arquia.

The land area of the Tulenega Shire stretches from the province of Colon to the Gulf of Uraba, Colombia. The head of government of the region was generally exercised by a commissioner appointed by the central government. The law also recognized the Guna, as property owners of the Shire.

After separation of Panama in 1903, was completely unknown the Act of 1870, and also the territory of the former region, was divided de facto into two parts: the majority remained in the new Republic of Panama, while a small portion remained in Colombia.

The suspension of the region, banana concessions, the incursions of outsiders Guna village in search of gold, rubber, sea turtles and colonial police abuse caused great discontent among the natives and brought the February 25 of 1925, the Revolution Guna, led by Nele Kantule of the town of Ustupu and Ologintipipilele (Simral Colman) of Ailigandi.

The Guna armed, attacked the police on the islands and Ugupseni Tupile, as they were accused of suppressing the customs gunas and make abuses in several communities.

In this revolution was proclaimed Guna ephemeral Republic of Tule, separating the central government of Panama for a few days.

The subsequent peace treaty established the commitment of the Government of Panama to protect the customs Gunas. The Gunas in turn, accepted the formal school system development in the islands.

The police brigade would be expelled from the Indian territory and all the prisoners released. The negotiations that ended the armed conflict constituted a first step to establish the autonomous status of the Guna and recover the culture that was being lost.

Based on Article 5 of the Constitution 1904, which says it believes the law allows political divisions with special or for reasons of administrative convenience or public service.

Legislation on indigenous territories in Panama began to be defined with the establishment of the Guna District of San Blas, in 1938, including areas of the provinces of Panama and Colon, then, defining its boundaries and administration by Act No. 16 of 1953.

Currently, according to the ruling of the Supreme Court of 23 March 2001, the region has a different political and administrative organization, independent of the Districts and Villages.

The counties are governed by special institutions themselves, and by resolution of Division of the Supreme Court, on 6 December 2000, an institution is the consent of indigenous peoples who wish to develop projects in their territories.

The governmental structure of Guna Yala is defined in Law 16 of 1953. The General Congress Guna is the highest political authority of Yala Guna consists of representatives of all communities in Guna Yala and meets twice a year. Votes are taken by each sahila of the community.

Guna Yala is politically subdivided into four corregimientos (districts), with a total of 51 comunidades (communities), most of which are located on islands of the San Blas Archipelago off the mainland coast.

They are listed from east to west:

Corregimiento de Nargana

- Wichupwala

- Nalunega

- Gorbisgi

- Carti Mamidup

- Uargandup

- Ailidup

- Orosdup

- Mandi Ubgigandup

- Arridup

- Narasgandup Dummar or Big Orange

- Narasgandup bipy or Orange Girl

- Akwadup

- Carti Sugdupu

- Carti Mulatupu

- Carti Yandup

- Carti Tupile

- Mirya Ubgigandup or Soledad Miria

- Mormagedup or Machine Island

- Mamardup

- Urgandi

- Nusadup

- Uargandup or Sugar River

- Yandup or Narganá

- Agwanusadup or Corazon de Jesus (Heart of Jesus)

- Digir or Isla Tigre

- Niadup or Ticantiqui

- Maguebgandi

- Nabagandi

Corregimiento de Agligandi

- Aidirgandi

- Ugupa or large Playon

- Irgandi

- Ugupseni or Playon Chico

- Dad Nagid Dupir or San Ignacio de Tupile

- Aligandi

- Achutupu

- Mamitupu

- Ustupu

- Ogobsucun

Corregimiento de Dubwala

- Mansucun

- Nabagandi

- Mulatupu

- Sasardi

- Tubuala

- Goedupu

- Island Cuba

- Marmartupu

- Sukunya

- Yansipdiwar

- Anachuguna

Corregimiento de Puerto Obaldia

- Armila (mainland)

- Port Obaldia (mainland)

The Guna District of Yala has an area of 2.306 km ². It consists of a narrow strip of land of 373-kilometre (232 mi) long on the east coast of Caribbean Panama, bordering the province of Darien and Colombia. An archipelago of 365 islands is around the coast, of which 50 are inhabited.

By boat, to go from the furthest southern point, Puerto Obaldia, to the most northern point, El Porvenir is a bit more than 100 miles.

The Economics of Guna District of Yala is mainly engaged in agriculture, fishing, handicraft production, and tourism.

The type of agriculture practiced in the district of Guna Yala is for subsistence purposes. Traditional products are bananas - now the Chinese banana, corn and sugar cane. Coconuts are also produced as a source of income.

The fishery is artisanal, usually using wire line or networks. Most fishing is for sale. The seafood is especially intended for sale, for which planes come daily to the islands. Especially sells lobster, crab and ultimately the squid and octopus.

The production of molas is the main activity of women guna and is for many families the only source of income or at least the principal.

In Yala Guna District of tourist facilities there. Most are small hotels for ecotourism. Most of them are in the field of Cartier, but there are also several in the township of Ailigandi.

Other sources of income are remittances from relatives working in the cities of Panama and Colon.

Among the most important traditions of the people mentioned Guna: Ico-inna or Feast of the needle than for a more accurate translation is the feast of puberty or what the Western world is known as the party or wedding.

Here a young girl after her first menstrual period is made a party where it pierces the septum of the pubescent female placing a ring with coconut oil as an antiseptic.

In childhood between 4 and 5 takes place the ceremony of inna-suit or baptism is performed in the first haircut, which was attended by all the people in the community, she is assigned a name in the language Guna to the female.

This name is next to the name given the country's official language. The Night festival or inna-mutiki is a party where all the people involved to celebrate a wedding or a new marriage in the village or community, this festival usually lasts for several days until the end of the whole liquor that has garnered the families.

The Guna District of Yala has a population of 31,557 inhabitants (2010), which shows a progressive decrease in the population.

The Guna Revolution refers to the events in 1925, in which the Guna Indians fought the ruling Panamanian authorities, whom were attempting force the Indians to adopt Hispanic culture by military action.

During this revolution the Guna Yala territory seceded and operated as the short-lived Republic of Tule. Following mediation by the United States the Guna re-united with Panama.

The Gunas with the support of the Panamanian government, created an autonomous territory called the Guna Yala district for the indigenous inhabitants which they would rule themselves.

During the first twenty years as an independent country of Panama, the Kuna had serious differences with national governments, because they tried to eradicate their culture, their customs and their disrespect indigenous authorities wanted to strip the land apart and were outraged by the governors and the colonial police,a settler to a native, is a non-Indian.

This is linked to an incident on April 20, 1921, which was staged in the Heart of Jesus Nargana and Westernization movement for women, which was to change clothes, take away the gold ring of the nose, the plates high carat gold, beads, winks and coin necklaces worn ornaments.

But a woman escaped and fled to Rio Nargana Sugar, from which it came. The police in retaliation remained imprisoned his children and his son, who was released to the outside to look.

That day at Sugar River had an indigenous congress and there it was decided not to let the woman go, so the sahila on behalf of the community sent a message saying that the police were not looking for it.

The police did not heed the message that night and sent a commission to Rio Colonial Sugar two police officers and three Indians.

When trying to stop some of the male relatives of women, began the battle and killed three residents of the town, two Indian policemen and others were injured with machete wildly as they fled in a canoe.

The bodies of the policemen were left in the water, tied to a stick in the sand enlcavado until they came to collect their families. The atmosphere remained tense until January 1925.

Juan Demosthenes Arosemena was the governor of the province of Colon, and was concerned about the information he had supplied the mayor of San Blas, Andres Mojica, on a course between the indigenous independence movement, so we decided to tell the Foreign Secretary Horacio F. Alfaro, to follow closely the actions of Americans: Anne Coope missionary and explorer Richard Oglesby Marsh. Just Marsh was the promoter of the independence.

On his return to Panama in January 1925, found a conflict between police and indigenous to explode, so he asked the U.S. military intervention in the Canal Zone, to exercise a protectorate, and wrote the Declaration of Independence and Tule people's human rights and Darien.

Marsh was supported by the U.S. ambassador, who helped the Panamanian government signed a peace agreement that would guarantee human rights and political rights of gunas.

The situation worsened until February 12, 1925, in a conference held in Ailigandi Guna, where he met top leaders of 45 villages and tribes. The discussions lasted 26 days and decided to proclaim the Republic of Tule, and fixed territorial limits.

This uprising came a flag, which was made by Waga Ebinkili (Mary Colman), granddaughter of Chief Simral Colman. It had a rectangular design with stripes.

The center was yellow with the upper and lower stripes in red and with a figure swastika. On February 21, 10 days after the declaration of independence, in the midst of the Carnival indigenous revolution broke out that lasted until 27 February, which was led by Nele Gantule and the chief Colman.

It is said that the insurgents were traveling in canoes from indigenous and Cartier Ailigandi the purpose of attacking the National Police headquarters in Playon Chico, Rio Tigre, Tigantigi, Nargana, UGAP and elsewhere in the archipelago, and carried much of the police contingent.

The toll was 27 dead. On 4 March, with the presence of the American minister, John G. South, was signed the peace agreement with the Indians and were promised a better deal respect for their customs, not to impose the establishment of schools, and were assured the same protection and rights enjoyed by other citizens.

The Indians in turn, pledged to lay down their weapons, withdraw its declaration of independence and abide by the laws of Panama.



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PANAMA: Kuna People, Their Language Kuna Is Considered An Endangered Language.

The Kuna, following orthographic reform in 2010 also known as Guna, and historically as Cuna, are an indigenous people of Panama and Colombia.

The Congreso General de la Nacion Gunadule since 2010 promotes the spelling Guna. In the Kuna language, they call themselves Dule or Tule, meaning "people", and the name of the language in Kuna is Dulegaya, literally "people-mouth".

The Kuna live in three politically autonomous comarcas or reservations in Panama, and in a few small villages in Colombia. There are also communities of Kuna people in Panama City, Colon, and other cities.

The most Kunas live on small islands off the coast of the comarca of Kuna Yala known as the San Blas Islands. The other two Kuna comarcas in Panama are Kuna de Madugandi and Kuna de Wargandi.

They are Kuna speaking people who once occupied the central region of what is now Panama and the neighboring San Blas Islands and still survive in marginal areas.

In Kuna Yala, each community has its own political organization, led by a saila. The saila 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.

Decisions are made in meetings held in the Onmaked Nega, or Ibeorgun Nega (Congress House or Casa de Congreso), a structure which likewise serves both political and spiritual purposes.

It is in the Onmaked Nega that the saila sings the history, legends and laws of the Kuna, as well as administering the day-to-day political and social affairs. The saila is usually accompanied by one or more voceros who function as interpreters and counselors for the saila.

Because the songs and oral history of the Kuna are in a higher linguistic register with specialized vocabulary, the saila's recitation will frequently be followed by an explanation and interpretation from one of the voceros in everyday Kuna language.

Traditionally, Kuna families are matrilinear, with the groom moving to become part of the bride's family. The groom takes the last name of the bride as well.

Today there are 49 communities in Kuna Yala. The region as a whole is governed by the Kuna General Congress, which is led by three Saila Dummagan or Great Sailas.

The flag of the Kuna Yala community.The Guna Swastika flag was adopted after 1925 rebellion against Panamanian suppression. Horizontal stripes have a proportion of 1:2:1 and the central swastika is an ancestral symbol called Naa Ukuryaa.

According to one explanation, it symbolizes the four sides of the world or the origin from which peoples of the world emerged. Also known as the flag of Kuna Yala island today, the flag is used for the province of San Blas and also as Kuna ethnic flag.

The central stripe, meaning peace and purity, is white on the official flag of the reservation, officially adopted by Kuna National Congress, while yellow stripe is used on ethnic flag,it was introduced on the flag at about 1940.

In 1942 the flag was modified with a red ring encompassing the center of the swastika because of Nazi associations. The addition of a nose ring was made because everyone knows Germans do not wear nose rings. The ring was later abandoned.

The Kuna are famous for their bright molas, a colorful textile art form made with the techniques of applique and reverse applique. 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 economy of Kuna Yala is based on agriculture, fishing and the manufacture of clothing 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 or skungit are the most important export products.

Migrant labor and the sale of molas provide other sources of income.

The Kuna have a long deep rooted history of mercantilism and a longstanding tradition of selling goods through family owned venues. Most imported goods originate from Colombian, Mexican or Chinese ships and are sold in small retail stores owned by Kuna people.

The Kuna traditionally excise no tax when trading goods and place strong emphasis on economic success.

This tradition of trade and self-determination has been credited by many as a chief reason why the Kuna have been able to successfully function independently compared to other indigenous groups.

Kuna communities in Panama City are typically made up of migrant laborers and small business owners, although many Kuna also migrate to Panama City to sell fish and agricultural products produced by their respective communities.

The sale of Mola and other forms of Kuna art has become a large part of the Kuna peoples economy in recent years and mola vendors can be found in most cities in Panama where they are marketed to both foreigners and Hispano Panamanians.

Tourism is now an important part of the economy in the Carti region, and abandoned goods from the drug trade provide occasional windfalls.

The Kunas were living in what is now Northern Colombia and the Darien Province of Panama at the time of the Spanish invasion, and only later began to move westward towards what is now Kuna Yala due to a conflict with the Spanish and other indigenous groups.

Centuries before the conquest, the Kunas arrived in South America as part of a Chibchan migration moving east from Central America. At the time of the Spanish invasion, they were living in the region of Uraba and near the borders of what are now Antioquia and Caldas.

Alonso de Ojeda and Vasco Nunez de Balboa explored the coast of Colombia in 1500 and 1501. They spent the most time in the Gulf of Uraba, where they made contact with the Kunas.

In far Eastern Kuna Yala, the community of New Caledonia is near the site where Scottish explorers tried, unsuccessfully, to establish a colony in the New World. The bankruptcy of the expedition has been cited as one of the motivations of the 1707 Acts of Union.

There is a wide consensus regarding the migrations of Kunas from Colombia and the Darien towards what is now Kuna Yala. These migrations were caused partly by wars with the Catio people, but some sources contend that they were mostly due to bad treatment by the Spanish invaders.

The Kuna themselves attribute their migration to Kuna Yala to conflicts with the native peoples, and their migration to the islands to the excessive mosquito populations on the mainland.

During the first decades of the twentieth century, the Panamanian government attempted to suppress many of the traditional customs.

This was bitterly resisted, culminating in a short-lived yet successful revolt in 1925 known as the Dule Revolution or people revolution, led by Iguaibilikinya Nele Kantule of Ustupu and supported by American adventurer and part-time diplomat Richard Marsh and a treaty in which the Panamanians agreed to give the Kuna some degree of cultural autonomy.

The San Blas Islands could be rendered uninhabitable by sea level rise in the late 21st century.

The Kuna language is a Native American language of the Chibchan family spoken by 50,000 to 70,000 people. Dulegaya is the primary language of daily life in the comarcas, and the majority of Kuna children speak the language.

Spanish is also widely used, especially in education and written documents. Although it is relatively viable, Kuna is considered an endangered language.

The Kuna have been shown to have a low average blood pressure (BP, 110/70 mm Hg), and, do not experience the age-related increase in blood pressure that is common in Western society.

Death rates from cardiovascular disease and cancer, the #1 and #2 causes of death in the US are low in the Kuna. Between 2000 and 2004, on the mainland of Panama, Bayard et al reported that for every 100,000 residents, 119 died from cardiovascular disease (CVD), and 74 died from cancer.

In contrast, per 100,000 Kuna, these death rates were 8 for CVD and 4 for cancer.

The Kuna have a very high incidence rate of albinism. In Kuna mythology, albinos or sipus were given a special place. Albinos in Kuna culture are considered a special race of people, and have the specific duty of defending the Moon against a dragon which tries to eat it on occasion during a lunar eclipse.

Only they are allowed to go outside on the night of a lunar eclipse and to use specially made bows and arrows to shoot down the dragon.



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