EMBERA IN PANAMA

THE EMBERA INDIANS LIVE IN DARIEN OF PANAMA. THEY INHABIT THIS SAME AREAS OF THE WAOUNAN WITH WHOM THEY SHARE MANY SIMILARITIES. THE DARIEN OF PANAMA IS HOME TO THE A FEW COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE SMALL DWELLINGS. THE LARGE CITY OF PANAMA HAVE INFLUENCED THEIR LIFESTYLES AND CULTURAL TRADITIONS HAVE DISAPPEARED. TODAY THEY ARE WORKING TO REVIVE THEIR CULTURAL TRADITION TO PRESERVE THIS LANGUAGE TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR MEAGER INCOME FROM FARMING.

THE WAONAN AND EMBERA PEOPLE HAVE LONG SHARED THE SAME TERRITORY AND THEIR CULTURES ARE SIMILAR. THE WAONAN WERE ARTISTS WHILE EMBERA WERE WARRIORS. IN PANAMA THE INDIGENOUS POPULATION IS ABOUT 11.8%. THE PRECOLUMBIAN WAONA AND EMBERA HISTORY IS AMBIGUOUS. THEY HAD NO WRITTEN LANGUAGE AND ONLY ORAL HISTORIES. THESE PEOPLE HAVE LIVED IN SEMI NOMADIC LIVES AS HUNTERS AND GATHERERS AND FISHERMEN. THEY MOVED TO REMOTE PARTS OF THE RAIN FOREST WITH A SMALL GROUP OF SEVERAL FAMILIES.

BASED UPON RECENT RESEARCH THEY LIVED IN THE DARIEN REGION MUCH BEFORE THE CONQUISTADORS. THIS THEORY WAS REINFORCED BY THE KUNA ORAL HISTORY AND MYTHOLOGY. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THESE PEOPLE MOVED TO CHOCO REGION DURING THE 16TH CENTURY. THE MIGRATION OF CHOCO TO DARIEN STARTED BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE SPANISH BUT IT WAS FROM THE END OF THE THE 1600'S THAT ANGLOS CAME TO DARIENN.

IN 1979 A DIRT HIGHWAY CUT THROUGH THE JUNGLE TOWARDS THE BORDER OF COLUMBIA - THE PAN AMERICAN HIGHWAY. THIS ROAD OPENED THE REGION TO CARS AND TRUCKS TO LOOK FOR VIRGIN FORESTS TO CLEAR CUT AND SLASH AND BURN FOR FARMING. TODAY THIS LAND IS FILLED WITH CATTLE FARMS AND PLANTATIONS WITHOUT JUNGLE FOR MILES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY.

IT ENDED THEIR LIFESTYLE BASED ON HUNTING AND GATHERING. THE INDIANS NOW RELY ON AGRICULTURE AND THEY ONLY KNOW SLASDH AND BURN. THEY HAVE BUILT DAMS AND TWO MAN MADE LAKES FOR PANAMA AND MAN MADE LAKES FOR PANAMA'S ELECTRICAL NEEDS, WAR, DRUG TRAFFICKING. AND GUERRILLAS. MANY PEOPLE HAVE RELOCATED TO NEW COMMUNITIES OUTSIDE OF PANAMA CITY.

RELIGION IN LATIN AMERICA HAS STRONGLY INFLUENCED MOST INDIGENOUS GROUPS. MANY RELIGIOUS GROUPS HAVE MET THE DARIEN. IN PANAMA THE EMBERA HAVE KEPT MORE OF THEIR TRADITIONS AND GAINED MORE FOLLOWERS. SOME HAVE DECIDED TO CONTINUE NON CHRISTIAN CELEBRATIONS. SOME NATIVES WANT TO DEVELOP CULTURAL TOURISM PROJECTS.

MANY ABORIGINAL MEN CHOOSE TO WEAR LOIN CLOTHES. IT IS STILL WORN BY THE ELDERS DUE TO THE CHURCH MOST VILLAGERS NOW WEAR PANTS AND SHORTS. THEY MAY WALK BAREFOOT IN THE FOREST. BUT WEAR SANDALS IN TOWN. THEIR TRADEMARK OF THE EMBERA AND WOANAN IS ABOUT EBONY BODY PAINTING DONE WITH JAGUAR FRUIT. WOMEN USUALLY ONLY WEAR A SKIRT FROM PALM FIBERS. DURING CEREMONIES THEY COVER BODIES WITH BLACK PAINT OF JAGUAR FRUIT. THEY MAKE PLASTIC BEAD NECKLACES. WOMEN ADD RED COLOR ON THEIR FACES AND LIPS. IT REMAINS FOR ONLY 10 DAYS. THIS BODY PAINTING IS IN USE FOR ALL CELEBRATIONS AND IS IMPORTANT TO TO BOTH WAOUNAN AND EMBERA. THE MEN AND WOMEN HAVE VARIOUS PATTERNS. DURING CERTAIN CEREMONIES WOMEN WEAR HEAVY NECKLACES OF COINS ND WEAVE THEM INTO A STRING. THEIR JEWELRY IS OF SILVER OF GOLD.

FLUTES , DRUMS, AND TURTLE SHELLS GUIDE THE DANCERS. MOST DANCES ARE EASY AS THEY LOOK TO NATURE AND ANIMALS THEIR MOVEMENTS. VISITORS ARE WELCOME.

THESE FOLKS WERE ORIGINALLY SEMI NOMADIC HUNTERS AND GATHERERS IN FOREST DWELLERS. THEY USED POISONOUS DARTS AND SET TRAPS FOR RODENTS. THEY HUNTED DEER, BOAR, COATI, AND GNEKE. THEIR TRADITIONAL DIET WAS FROM PLANTS, FRUIT PALM, ROOTS AND TUBERS. THEIR RIVERS HAVE MANY FISH. THEY USE FRUIT OF TREE, SPAVE TO LURE FISH TO BAIT. MOST FOLKS USE FARMING -PLANTAINS, BANANAS, SUGAR CANE, CORN, BEAN AND YUCCA.

HOUSES ARE ON STILTS 10 FEET HIGH. THIS WAY IT WAS PROTECTED FROM ANIMALS AND FLOODING. THE HOUSES ARE FOR A SINGLE FAMILY.

THEIR HOUSES ARE OF BAMBOO OR WOOD, A FIRE PIT AT ONE END. HALF OF THE HOUSE IS OPEN. MORE RECENT HOUSES ARE OF WOOD. AND A SET OF STAIRS , ZINC IS FOR THE ROOF. IT SHOWS WEALTH. THEY ARE HOT IN ARID DAY HEAT.

THEY CARVE DUGOUT CANOES FROM ONE SINGLE TREE. THE KIDS HAVE A SMALL CANOE. SOME CANOES ARE MADE TO CARRY CARGO AND 20 PASSENGERS. EVERY ONE IS AN EXPERT AT PADDLING OR POLING A CENTER. THE KIDS LEARN HOW TO RECORD THE CURRENT OF THE RIVER AT THREE.

THEY USE A SUGAR CANE PRESS TO EXTRACT THE JUICE OF SUGAR CANE. IT IS A PROCESS TO GET HONEY. THEY FERMENT THE JUICE TO MAKE A LIQUOR- CHICHA.

THE WOMEN ARE FAMOUS CRAFTERS. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THEY WERE THE ORIGINAL BASKET WEAVERS OF THE REGION. THEY WEAVE WITH A FIBER FROM A PALM CALLED A CHUNGA. THE MEN COLLECT IT AND THEY LOCATE FIBERS FROM THE TOP OF PALM TREES. THE TREE TRUNKS ARE PROTECTED BY A THICK LAYER OF 5 FEET LONG THORNS. AND THEY GET THE LEAVES. THEY STACK THEM AFTER REMOVING THE LEAVES FROM THE STALK. THEY PEEL IT INTO THIN STRIPS. THEY DIE THE FIBERS USING WHITE, BROWN AND BLACK NATURAL DYES. THEY BOIL THE FIBERS WITH PIECES OF DYE. SOME MODERN BASKETS ARE MADE FROM MANY COLORS.

THEY ARE MASTER WOOD CARVERS AND CARVE SCULPTURES OF COCO BOLO TREE WOOD, INCLUDING JUNGLE ANIMALS. THEY ALSO CARVE THE TONGUE NUT WHICH LOOKS LIKE IVORY BUT IT IS POLISHED AND THEY CARVE DELICATE ANIMALS AND PAINT WITH CHEMICAL PAINTS. MANY LEAVE THEM UNPAINTED. THEY HAVE ALWAYS STRUGGLED WITH MODERNIZATION AND MONEY ISSUES. THEIR LIVES HAVE CHANGED AND THE YOUNGER FOLKS ARE GOING TO SCHOOL TO LIVE AND WORK. THESE INDIANS THAT FIGHT TO FOR HUMAN RIGHTS NEED MODERN EDUCATION. COSTLY MEDICINE HAS RAPIDLY REPLACED SHAMANISM AND NATURAL HEALING. SUBSISTENCE LIVING IS A THING OF THE [PAST. THE IDEAL IS TO GIVE ECONOMIC SOLUTIONS TO COMMUNITY TO REMAIN IN VILLAGES. MARKETING OF ARTISAN GOODS AND ECOTOURISM ARE GOOD SHORT TERM SOLUTIONS.

MOST FOLKS SPEAK FLUENT SPANISH. THEY HAVE DANCES, PRESENTATIONS, AND BODY PAINTING ACTIVITIES.

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