THESE INDIANS ARE THE MOST NUMEROUS POPULATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF THE PANAMA. THEY CALL THEMSELVES GUAYMI AND WORK IN BANANA PLANTATIONS. THIS TERM MEANS PEOPLE AND THE LANGUAGE IS NOW EXTINCT. THE GOVERNMENT HAS NEVER GRANTED THE NGAWHEN TITLE TO THEIR LAND. THEY LOST MUCH LAND BECAUSE OF ENCROACHMENT. LITTLE IS KNOWN OF PRE CONTACT TIMES.
THEY LIKELY DESCENDED FROM FROM MANY TRIBES. IN 1990 THEY HAD 124,000 NGAWHEN IN PANAMA; 63,000 IN CHIRIQUE; 51,000 IN BOCAS DEL TORO; 7000 IN VERAGAS AND 2700 IN OTHER PROVINCES. THEIR CLOSEST CULTURAL AFFILIATIONS ARE WITH THE BUGLE AND TERIBE IN PANAMA.
EARLY CONTACT LED TO SOME ISOLATION OF THE OTHER WITH OUTSIDE WORD DRAMATICALLY INCREASED WITH FREQUENCY. THEY BECAME WAGE LABORERS ON THE COFFEE AND BANANA PLANTATIONS WHILE BUYING AND SELLING GOODS. MANY HAVE GONE TO MANY HAVE GONE TO SCHOOL AND EXPLORING MINES AND BUILT NEW ROADS.
THEY LIVE IN SMALL HAMLETS OF 2 TO 8 HOUSES. THEY EXISTED PREHISTORICALLY. RAPID POPULATION GROWTH LED TO LARGER HAMLETS. THEIR HOUSES ARE THATCHED AND CONICAL. SOME HAVE CORRUGATED METAL ROOFS. MARRIAGE IS A UNION AND AN ECONOMICAL ALLIANCE. THEY HAVE NO FORMAL WEDDING CEREMONY. THE GROOM PROVIDES LABOR FOR HIS FATHER IN LAW. THE WOMAN WILL MOVE TO HER HUSBNAD'S HAMLETS. POLYGAMY IS PRACTICED.
CHILDREN ARE GIVEN MUCH FREEDOM TO PLAY. GIRL'S FOLLOW THEIR MOM'S IN LEARNING WHAT TASKS THEY NEED TO DO. IN FORMER TIMES THE BOYS WENT THROUGH A PHYSICALLY TAXING PUBERTY INITIATION. DESPITE 500 YEARS OF CHRISTIANITY AND CATHOLICISM THE NGAWHE RETRAIN TRADITIONAL BELIEFS. THEY BELIEVE IN A PROTECTOR GOD OF LIGHTENING.
WOODEN CROSSES WERE PLACED ON ROOFTOPS AND TRAILS TO WARD OFF EVIL SPIRITS. IN 1961 A RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT - MAMA CHI WAS A RESULT OF A VISIONARY EXPERIENCE OF NGAWBE WOMAN. IT IS TRANSFORMATIVE, REVITALISTIC AND INNOVATIVE ; THEY DISCOURAGED CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD AND PROHIBITED ALCOHOL. THEY HAD RITUALS WHERE ALCOHOL WAS CONSUMED.
THEIR TRADITIONAL PRACTITIONERS INTERPRET DREAMS AND EFFECT CURES FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF DREAMS. CENTRAL TO THIS RITUAL IS A MAN AND THE RITUAL SIBLING RELATIONSHIP THAT EXISTS BETWEEN THE HOST AND HIS PRINCIPAL GUEST. THIS EVENT LASTS FOUR DAYS, THEY HAVE TEAMS WHO THROW STICKS AT EACH OTHER. ALL OF THEIR RITUALS INVOLVE DRINKING, MAIZE BAR, SINGING AND DANCING, AND MUSIC.
THEY MAKE FLUTES, RATTLES AND CONCH SHELLS. THE SONGS OR CHANTS ARE NOT SUNG IN NGAWHERE. FACE PAINTING IS COMMON. TRADITIONAL CURERS HAVE EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF PLANT MEDICINE AND CAN CURE ILLNESSES THAT ARE NOT DEEMED TO BE THE RESULT OF SUPERNATURAL MEDICINE. SERIOUS ILLNESSES ARE TAKEN TO CLINICS IN PANAMA TOWNS. UPON DEATH THEY ABANDON A DWELLING . THE BODY IS MOVED TO ANOTHER UNIT AND MOURNING BEGINS. THEY ARE BURIED.
EVERYCULTURE.COM
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