06 Jan The Kuna of Panama
By Becki Burr
Have you ever taken a trip up the mountain to El Valle de Anton to visit the sights and stop at the mercado? Have you been enchanted by the Kuna ladies in colorful dress with beaded arms and ankles? Have you been impressed with their handiwork, but wonder about their culture?
Now you may be saying to yourself, “Wait! I thought they changed it to Guna awhile back!” We’ll, yes, they did. However, because all of the legal documents had a ‘K’ in them, they decided to go back to it. The big change didn’t last long…even though the Kuna don’t even have a ‘K’ in their alphabet! Another tidbit is this. Each number after the number 10 in their language is a very long word, and because of that, most of the younger ones (40 and under), don’t know how to count past that, even though they speak the language.
My husband and I had the privilege of living in El Valle for 4 years and getting to know the Kuna community there quite well. We were in their homes, we went to church with them and had them in our home as well. Each one of them has a story, like Alvarada, who LOVES to sing, but who didn’t learn to read until she was in her 60’s….or Melania, who has raised her sisters children because their mom has a job living with and working for a wealthy Panamanian and she isn’t allowed to have her children with her….or perhaps Chanet, whose hair (that was cut off as a young girl in a ceremonial ritual in Kuna Yala) is in a museum in Switzerland.
Alvarada and Sari studying English. One in traditional clothing, the other dressed in Western clothing.
Melania and her daughter
There’s Cleo who works at the Mariposario as a guide…perhaps you’ve seen him..possibly the happiest and friendliest person you’ve ever met. He paints very intricately on feathers. Lastania and Sari are mother-in-law and daughter who live and work together in the market. Dixon makes clay decor to go on knives and Domino boxes. There are many others, with many talents and precious stories.
The very colorful Molas are what the Kuna are most well known for. The Molas are appliqué and reverse appliqué, layers of cloth sewn in intricate designs by hand with stitches that are barely visible. Multiple layers of cloth and tighter stitches are highly valued. An entire family works to provide the inventory for their booths with one of the family selling the items. However, you will likely see them working on inventory during the day when there are few customers. The children may sleep under the tables after they get “home” from school. It’s a family atmosphere as they spend most every day right there at the market.
FYI. They are more than happy to take a custom order for you. Do you want a huge mola to frame? No problem. One of my favorite things has been to take them certain pieces of clothing and have them sew a mola design on to it. Or, buy a mola that I like and have them cut it up to place on a jacket or jeans. It takes some time, but it is well worth it.
The traditional clothing for women includes a wrap around piece of fabric, generally in 2 colors, the mola top with patterned and quite often colorful fabric which the Molas are attached to, front and back, and the red and yellow scarf tied around (or just laid there) their heads. I’ve been told that those who wear the traditional clothing will not have long hair. It is always kept shorter. Some still have the ring in their nose. It is smaller when they are younger and replaced by larger rings as they get older. A few of them still wear the black stripe down their nose made from the juice of a fruit that stains their skin, and lasts a couple of weeks. And of course, there are the long, long strands of beads wrapped around their legs and arms with intricate patterns. The deigns in the beadwork show the incredible artistry they possess as Kuna.
Becki with some of the Kuna children dressed for their culture day.
The best book I’ve read about the Kuna is a difficult one to find, called “Beauty is A Ring In My Nose” by Marvel Iglesias. Marvel lived with the Kuna in the San Blas Islands for years as a teacher/missionary in the early to mid 1900’s. She actually married one of the San Blas Kuna, and that is how she ended up there.
She tells of trying to get the children to come to school, but the leaders of the tribe would not allow it. The boys needed to work! None of them needed to know that nonsense. After much talking, they finally agreed the boys could come. However, the girls in their hunger for knowledge, would sit outside the school building and look through the slats, so that they could learn as well.
The leaders plan the marriages. A girl doesn’t realize she’s getting married until they all show up at her house and take her away for the ceremony. I’m not certain that still goes on today, but it was a tradition for those living on island.
I hope that the next time you make a trip to El Valle, you will make the effort to get to know some of these precious people. They make very little in the market and often are going hungry…so every little purchase helps feed their family. And you get a piece of spectacular artwork to remember them by. It’s a win-win!