The Natives of Panama

When the Spaniards came to the present day area known as Panama in the 16th Century, they encountered various Native American Indian Groups; the main of these included the Kuna, Guaymi, Choco and some other minor native groups. Subsequent to the settling of the Spanish, the mixed ancestry of Spanish and Indians developed to what is termed today as mestizos. During the colonial times the people from Africa were brought there as slaves, and slowly these people were also integrated into the society. With the construction of the Panama City – Colon railway, and then later the canal, a range of nationalities were settled in this area; included nationalities were from the United States, China, French, West Indian, as well as Italians and Greeks. All these nations have contributed to the current society of Panama.

A small fraction of the original natives remain, mostly living in isolated areas, including on small islands, and in the rain forests.

The largest of the groups is the Guaymi or Ngobe Bugle – mostly located in Western Panama. They live in the provinces of Chiriqui, Bocas del Toro and Veraguas.  The language spoken by these indigenous natives is known as Ngabere. The Guaymi proved to be formidable opponents to the exploring Spaniards and it was recorded in many historic journals of these fierce and fearless adversaries. The Guaymi people still follow many of their traditions, but many have opted for the work opportunities in the coffee plantations in the neighboring Costa Rica. The women still practice the manufacture of traditional arts and crafts and make the traditional ‘Panama hat’ which is worn by the men… A traditional ‘jewellery’ item worn by these people is what is known as a Chaquira, which is a beaded necklace also worn by the men of the Ngobe Bugle.
The next largest group is the Kuna, who live predominantly in the Kuna Yala, occupying the South Eastern coastal areas, and the San Blas archipelago as well as along the coastal plains of the Darien province. The Kuna people, believed to be direct descendants of the Carib Indians are a very well established society and live much in the same sort of style and fashion that their ancestors did; with customary rituals being passed from generation to generation. The Kuna societies in general have a shared responsibility amongst the families, with the man gathering and subsistence farming for food, whilst the woman conducts the household activities. There is a high incidence of albinism with the Kuna people, based on folklore of the Kuna it was caused by the disobedience of the children of the sun, that was sent to the Kuna, by the sun, upon request of their shaman many centuries ago; although the albinos of their society were given a special place. The Kuna were the first to obtain their own politically autonomous state, via treaty with the Panamanian government and many years of negotiation and lobbying for self governance. The language spoken by these natives is called Dulegaya – meaning “people-talk’. History of these people is traditionally passed down by the Sahila of the village – being the political and spiritual leader. The Sahila performs these rites via ritualistic song and dance, often with the help of interpreters. The Kuna are very in touch with nature and have traditionally used a number of plants for medicinal purposes.

The Choco Indians, or now known as Embrera and Wounaan Indians predominantly occupy the province of Darien in the South of Panama. The Embrera and Wounaan people live similar lives, within the dense rain forests of the region. It has been said that they were not affected by the European explorers as they didn’t have much of value and were left alone. These groups have chosen to stay away from progressing civilization and prefer the rivers and forests where they predominantly live a hunter gatherer type existence, with subsistence farming supplying most of the meals. Being semi nomadic these people have not taken on the role of fully dressing themselves and the men predominantly wear g-strings and body paint. Very much in tune with nature these indigenous people utilize plants for medicinal purposes, natural dying, body paints and for food flavoring. Living in small groups they travel about as family units, constructing semi-permanent shelters along the rivers and tributaries. These shelters are normally raised off the ground to prevent unwanted visitors, as well as the rains from seeping in. Although these Indians look fierce in nature, due to their regalia they are not as formidable as their Kuna or Guaymi cousins.

Although not a native inhabitant of Panama, the Mestizos are the largest population group in Panama. They predominate in the savannas to the west of the canal and in the central provinces of Panamá and Colón, where they have intermarried with people of West Indian and African ancestry. This rich cultural diversity combines to form the atmosphere and make up of the modern Panama population.

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