The communities that live high in the mountains
The Ngäbe and Bugle tribes inhabit great mountainous regions in the provinces of Chiriq&...
The Kunas and their vibrant molas
The best way to get to know the Kunas is to take a trip to their district, a marine paradise in t...
The Emberá and Wounaan in Chagres and Chepo
These two ethnic races are natives of the Darien jungle, which is somewhat far from the capit...
The Bri-Bri and the Naso
The Naso and the Bri-Bri are the smallest indigenous groups in the country. The populati...
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The communities that live high in the mountains
Tuesday, 04 January 2011 17:49 -
The Kunas and their vibrant molas
Tuesday, 04 January 2011 17:49 -
The Emberá and Wounaan in Chagres and Chepo
Tuesday, 04 January 2011 17:50 -
The Bri-Bri and the Naso
Tuesday, 11 January 2011 19:28
Indigenous communities
Most of the seven original indigenous towns of Panama live in reserved territories, located all around the country. In those local reserves they experience their ancestral forms of government, maintain cheers and songs, profound beliefs and their unique forms of cultural expression. The Panamanian natives are expert craftsmen who produce exquisite statues in wood, wonderful miniatures in the hard seed of ivory palm, beautiful baskets, masks and purses woven with vegetal fiber and colorful clothes like mola, famous anywhere in the world. It is possible to visit them in their habitual towns which borders of the sea, in high mountains or the inside of the tropical jungle.
The Naso and the Bri-Bri are the smallest indigenous groups in the country. The population of both towns, combined, amounts only to approximately 2% of the total population of natives in Panama. The Bri-Bri inhabits the shores of the rivers Yorkin and Sixaola, in territories located to both sides of the rich Panama-Coast border, in the extreme northwest of the country. The Naso occupy the borders of the Teribe river, this being the reason why they are called their name. Both groups live in small communities scattered by moved away sylvestrian territories of the urban centers.
These two ethnic races are natives of the Darien jungle, which is somewhat far from the capital city, and can be accessed by plane or in small cruise ships, however Emberá and Wounaan communities exist in areas closer to Panama City. The former can be found in Lake Alajuela, in the Canal region, in the towns of Parará Purú and Drúa. The Wounaan have settlements close to the Chagres river, also in the Canal area, in San Antonio, Mocambo and Ella Purú. Other settlements close to the capital city are a short distance away, in the areas near Chepo, located towards the province of Darien, among them the Emberá Ipetí community. In all these communities, the members of these ethnic races live just like they do in Darien, conserving their customs, their foods and their beautiful craftsmanship, which can be obtained there.
The best way to get to know the Kunas is to take a trip to their district, a marine paradise in the Caribbean coast an hour flight away from Panama city. One can also access the community of Cartí by road. Once in Kuna territory, there are dozens of islands to chose from, each one of them with beautiful beaches full of white sand and intense green waters surrounded by palm trees. Enjoy the delicacies of the Caribbean environment of Kuna Yala while you admire the expressions of their ancestral culture, among them the canes carved in wood, called nuchus, their dancing to the tune of the pentatonic flutes and the famous molas, made with vibrant colors and magistral designs. If you cannot go to Kuna Yala, you could admire the molas and how they make them in the Kuna craftsmanship stands in the city of Panama.
The Ngäbe and Bugle tribes inhabit great mountainous regions in the provinces of Chiriqí, Bocas del Toro and Veraguas. If during your stay in Panama you visit the higher lands of Chiriquí, or the islands of Bocas, you could visit some of these ethnic tribes' communities. The Ngäbe-Buglé, as they are usually called, are somewhat reserved and live in small communities formed by family clans, spread throughout their territorial district. Normally they celebrate their traditional ceremonies, like balsería, in remote places high up in the mountains, and because of this their customs remain shrouded in mystery and legend. Their neighbors, the Naso-Teribes and the Brí-Brí live in even more remote areas of the province of Bocas del Toro.