16 Dec The Emberá in Panama
By Kellie Donohue
https://playabeachblog.wordpress.com/
It isn’t everyday that I can imagine I’m living out a scene from “Heart of Darkness” or taking part in a National Geographic film shoot; but I was able to imagine both during my visit to an Emberá tribe just outside Panama City. The Emberá (Puru tribe) are one group of Panama’s indigenous people and live in several regions of the country. These areas are either where they have always lived, or where they now need to live in order to continue living a traditional Emberá lifestyle.
After gearing up with modern day necessities like bug spray, sunscreen, hat, bottled water, and sturdy walking sandals – I was ready to climb in the dugout canoe and enjoy the ride along the jungle river. While not exactly authentic with a small outboard motor powering us against the current, it was much better than paddling upstream under our own steam. It was much easier to snap a few pictures and enjoy the horses, birds, and other river travelers. The ride was beautiful, with each bend in the river revealing another near perfect picture. The river was so thick with leaves it looks like a blanket in some places. Other spots are full of reeds and vegetation – providing wonderful cover for the terns.
The trip upstream provided a great transition from the modern world of traffic jams and blaring music to the rustic world of handmade drums and dirt pathways. As my small group climbed out of the canoe we were warmly greeted by the Emberá; including the tourist rep for the village (an unofficial position), and small children peering out from behind a tree or their mother’s paloma (skirt).
Our visit began with a presentation on daily life, customs, and goals of the Emberá. A tribe leader explained there were roughly 130 people in the Puru tribe-well 131 with the birth just a couple days ago. The chief explained how the tribe made their own clothing, constructed their houses, and participated in Panama’s education system. For example, the men wear two tightly woven ropes across their chest to create an X, while the women wear one rope like a necklace. Why? You’ll have to make the trek to learn the answer. Also worth mentioning is the lack of shirts – yes, everyone is topless. Given the heat and humidity it’s a logical way to live – plus it means there isn’t as much laundry to do. We also learned about the body paint the Embera wear, how they elect a chief, build houses, and how the Emberá are trying to balance the past with the ever-encroaching future.
As with some other head-scratching policies we all live with in Panama, the Emberá have to follow a few processes that don’t quite make sense. This would include children being required to wear official school uniforms. While many places require children to wear school uniforms and there are pros and cons to that, for Emberá it is an added expense. School uniforms are expensive. There’s also the fact the school is in a remote jungle community where the uniform is more hindrance than help. However, the Embera recognize the benefits of participating in formal education and conform to the policy to ensure their children benefit. Chocó is the Emberá’s native language and used most often. However they have begun to learn Spanish, which is necessary to understand the laws and politics of Panama.
We had lunch in the communal dining room, which was a large raised open-air dwelling raised 6–12 feet off the ground on stilts with thatched roofing made from palm leaves. All the houses are on stilts to ensure the house isn’t washed away with the rain and to protect against some of the insects, such as scorpions and ants. As we have all likely experienced, rain in Panama is nothing to mess with.
A deluge seems likely any time during the rainy season and we had a small taste of a downpour that turned the central walkway and soccer field into a muddy mess. The rain isn’t as big a concern when you’re off the ground; it is also cooler and it keeps some of the bugs at bay. The picture below shows an average house and average stairs. In this particular case, the stairs have been twisted which means do not disturb. Since there are no doorbells (or doors!), a clear signal was required.
The stairs pictured above are only for the Emberá; good thing as I’m pretty sure those of us without a lifetime of practice would take one or two steps up and then start wobbling. Who knows how many gringos would end up on their butt as they tipped off the log stairs? Recognizing a problem, the Emberá tribe built a “gringo” staircase, to ensure their visitors left in the same condition they arrived. I certainly appreciated the gringo steps as I climbed up to one of the community rooms and I enjoyed watching the women go up and down the Emberá steps while balancing items in both hands.
Once safely ensconced in the dining room/hut we enjoyed patacones and grilled tilapia, served in a banana leaf bowl. While not expected, our guide brought a huge, fresh pineapple for everyone to share, plus one for the tribe. It was a delicious lunch! We dipped them in a bowl with fresh basil leaves in order to clean our fingers. The basil leaf cuts the oil from the fish and leaves you with sweet smelling fingers.
With lunch wrapped, we headed off for a jungle walk with the tribe’s medicine man. He showed us which plants helped with fever, which are poisonous and then used to coat blow darts used in hunting, and what will help with indigestion. He also showed us the antidote – important for the lucky man who gets to shoot the dart! Along our walk we came across a long parade of leaf cutter ants. These mighty little creatures carry three times more than their own weight, up and over rocks and roots. While I’m not a big fan of stopping over and around bugs, I did feel a bit guilty if I stepped on one.
Part of our walk led us up to the Puru schoolhouse. The tribe has two teachers that stay in the village through the week and head back to the city for the weekend. Each teacher has their own small hut, lined with books and trophies, though I’m not sure how the books hold up in the humidity. The Puru School, an official Panamanian school, must follow the same set of rules other schools do – including uniforms. Each day the kids put on their school uniform and head to class and then rush home to put on their usual clothes. Yes, lots of kids go through this routine, however most kids don’t live in the middle of the jungle.
Our walk completed, we made our way back to the community “hall” to enjoy some song and dance. The women were up first and began dancing in a line before picking up the pace in time with a single drum to form a large circle. Next up the men played drums and kept the beat going for the women. As one song ended, we were invited to dance with the tribe, with some of the children coming up to us to take our hands.
To wrap the day we browsed the tribe’s handiwork. The Puru tribe relies on tourism to supplement some of the supplies they need, such as school uniforms and books. It also allows them to buy some manufactured material for their skirts. The crafts are handmade and range from bracelets to animal carvings to woven baskets and plates. While there isn’t any pressure to buy something, it is possible to find a pair of earrings or small basket for less than $20.
We wrapped the day and climbed back in the dugout canoe for the ride downstream. It was a wonderful experience and made me appreciate the balance of simple living and the tremendous work when you don’t have electricity or power tools! I recommend anyone interested in experiencing a completely different lifestyle spend a day, or perhaps stay for a night.