Kunas

You can't miss the opportunity to meet the Kunas, a proud native culture with Caribbean roots who inhabit the Archipelago of Kuna Yala. They are ruled by a political, social and religious structures which are one of the most functional and orderly in the world. The Kuna Yala Comarca or reservation has had political independence and auto-regulation for many decades.

The folklore dances of this ethnic group are called Noga Koppe and they are danced to the rhythm of flutes, which are hand-crafted by themselves using thin bamboo and yarn threads and the designs are made from pumpkin and plant seeds, some painted and varnished, while others are left on their natural style.

The black ink used to outline their noses is extracted from a fruit called jagua or "zaptur" (Kuna languaje) which is a white liquid founded deep inside the forest.

During puberty there are two ceremonies that are usually held. The first one starts with a girl’s first menstruation, where the girl is confined inside a surba (means: "leaf of a shoot") in the shape of a room, and she gets washed by the women from the village, and the family of the young girl offers fish ceviche with hot spicy seasoning to all the women of the community.

 

 

Innatuledi, a specialist in botanics, rocks, magic stones, bones and more. Among his applications he does healing bathes, potions, perfuming by burning aromatic substances, minor surgeries, etc.
Nele, is a spiritual specialist. He has visions, dreams and revelations that help him to diagnose a patient’s illnesses. He offers medicinal infusions made with vegetables, perfuming baths, and healing chants.

 

The second puberty ceremony, inna-mutiki, is a very important party filled with luxury that lasts for many days. During this party, the girl gets her hair cut. This is a premarital ritual, because after celebrating this party, the girl is allowed to get married.

 

Handicrafts

The mola is the traditional dress worn by Kuna women who inhabit the Panamanian coast of the Caribbean Sea.

Kunas are famous for their colorful handicrafts used with both personal as well as commercial purposes.

Molas consist of geometric, anthropomorphic, mythological and zoomorphic designs, as well as designs which are common to their daily activities.

Molas are made in cloth by reverse application using bright colors, sewn together by hand using individual stitches. It is taught from one generation to the next starting in early childhood. Women do this traditional labor of art while listening to the chants of the “Sailagan” or political-spiritual guide in the house of Ibeorgun (Kuna prophet), in their free time or while waiting under the shade of palm trees for their partners to come back from their chores in the mainland, or from hunting or fishing. More traditional molas consist of geometric designs representing stylish forms of plants and animals and the collective or individual interpretation of traditions contained in the oral literature of their nation.

Housing: Kuna homes are usually built on flat land over sandy soil. They consist of a large room used as a bedroom, which receives the name nega Tumat (big house). The room designated for household chores and preparing meals (kitchen) is known as So-nega (house of fire).

The second ritual is the inna-suit or first hair cut which is done at the age of five or four years old and it can be compared with the christening.

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