EMBERO INDIANS OF COLUMBIA

THE EMBERO LIVE IN THE PANAMA AND THE DEPARTMENT OF CHOCO. THIS AREA IS ATTRACTING MORE AND MORE HOMESTEADERS IN SEARCH OF CATTLE. MANY CULTURAL TRADITIONS HAVE DISAPPEARED. THESE PEOPLE WORK IN AN EFFORT TO SUPPLEMENT MEAGER INCOME.FROM FARMING AND TO PRESERVE THEIR LANGUAGE. THE EMBERO AND WAOUNAN PEOPLE RECORD SOME OF THEIR TRADITIONS AND THEY RECENT HISTORY. IS SIMILAR. THEY SPEAK CHACOAN. THERE HAVE BEEN ABOUT 8,000 PEOPLE IN COLUMBIA AND PANAMA.

IN PRECOLUMBIAN EMBERA HISTORY REMAINS AMBIGUOIS. LIKE MANY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THEY HAVE HAVE BEEN SEMINOMADIC LIVES AS HUNTER, GATHERERS, AND FISHERS. THEY MOVE TO THE REMOTE PARTS OF THE RAINFOREST. THESE FOLKS WERE ARTISTS AND WARRIORS.

SCHOLARS ARE THOUGHT THAT THE EMBERA AND WANAN PEOPLE HAD RECENTLY MIGRATED TO PANAMA FROM THE STATE OF CHACO, COLUMBIA. THEY LIVED HERE MUCH BEFORETHE CONQUISTADORS. THEY HAD WARS AS WELL ACCORDING TO MYTHOLOGIES. THERE HISTORY HAS BEEN INFLUENCED BY NEIGHBORS. ON THE 7TH DAY THEY BUILT A DIRT HIGHWAY THROUGH THE JUNGLE TOWARDS THE BORDER

IT HAS OFFERED THE EMBERA ACCESS TO MODERN WOLD AND DESTROYED THEIR HUNTING AND GATHERING LIFESTYLE. THEY REALLY ALMOST ENTIRELY RELY ON AGRICULTURE.

THE WATER NEEDS OF THE PANAMA CANAL HAVE CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE OF CONSTRUCTION OF DAMS AND TWO LAKES.. COMMUNITIES WERE RELOCATED FROM THE LAKE . WAR, DRUGS, TRAFFICKING AND GUERILLA ACTIVITIES ARE OTHER FACTORS THAT INFLUENCEE THE MIGRATING OF THOSE COMMUNITIES. THE EMBERO PEOPLE LIVED IN TINY COMMUNITIES WHO HAD NO RIGHTS TO OR SUPPORT FROM THEIR GOVERNMENT. THEY HAQD A WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE IN 1983. THEY ASKED THE GOVERNMENT TO RECOGNIZE THEM POLITICALLY AS EMBERA-WAUNAN. THEY ADOPTED A COMPLEX STRUCTURE AND HAD COMMITEES ON EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND FISHING RIGHTS, FORESTRY, ART, ENTERTASINMENT AND WOMEN'S ISSUES. BY 1998 THE WAOUNANA
SEPARATED FROM THE EMBERA GROUP.

RELIGION INFLUENCED THESE GROUPS. CONQUISTADORS CONTROLLED THEIR GROUPS. ALSO CHRISTIANS TRIED TO CIVILIZE THE GROUPS AND ADOPT THEIR TRADITIONS. THEY HAVE FORCED TO STOP USING TRADITIONS. THEY HAVE FORCED TO STOP USING TRADITIONAL DRESSES, CULTURE. MEDICINE, MUSIC AND SPIRITUALFESTIVALS. IN PANAMA INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE KEPT A STRONG GROUP ON THEIR ON THEIR CULTURE AND CONSEQUENTLY CHURCHES ARE MORE TOLERANT OF INDIGENOUS TRADITIONS. SOME EMBERA HAVE DECIDED NOT T ATTEND CHURCH THEY STILL HAVE DO BODY PAINTING AND RITUAL DANCING. THESE CHURCHES ARE PUTTING PRESSURE ON VILLAAGES WHO ARE TRYING TO REVIVE THEIR CULTURE.

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