Guna Yala in Kuna means "Land Guna" or "Guna Mountain". The area was formerly known as San Blas, and later as Kuna Yala, but the name was changed in October 2011 to "Guna Yala" when the Government of Panama recognized the claim of the people that "Guna" was a closer representation of the name in their mother tongue than "Kuna".
Who are the Kuna people?
The Kuna people, also Cuna and Guna, refer to themselves as Dule or Tule, meaning "People "in Kuna language. The Gunas live mostly in the San Blas Islands, in north-east Panama, where they own three politically autonomous comarcas, sort of reservations, the Guna Yala , Madugandí and Wargandí.
What is the difference between Cuna and Guna?
The Cuna, in the language itself spelled Kuna prior to a 2010 orthographic reform and Guna thereafter, are an indigenous people of Panama and Colombia. The Congreso General de la Nación Gunadule since 2010 has promoted the spelling Guna.
What is the Kuna Yala?
The Kuna call this region Kuna Yala, or Guna Yala – home of the Kuna. While the Kuna who settled in Panama City often work as cooks or unskilled workers, the Kuna in the traditional communities are still engaged in agriculture, fishing, and trading with coconuts. The biggest part of the financial power belongs...
Who are the Guna Yala?
They are Guna-speaking people who once occupied the central region of what is now Panama and the neighboring San Blas Islands and still survive in marginal areas. In Guna Yala, each community has its own political organization, led by a saila (pronounced "sigh-lah").
What is the Kuna name for the San Blas Islands?
Guna YalaThe official name of the San Blas Islands is Guna Yala. The native indigenous people who call it home still refer to it as such today, though other variations also suffice: San Blas, Kuna Yala, or Comarca de Kuna Yala.
What were the Guna Indians previously known as?
The Guna* Indians (formerly known as the ¨Kuna Indians¨ or ¨Cuna¨**) are the amerindios, or indigenous people, of Panama and Colombia.
Where is the Guna tribe?
PanamaThe Guna, in the language itself spelled Kuna prior to a 2010 orthographic reform, are an Indigenous people of Panama and Colombia. The Congreso General de la Nación Gunadule since 2010 has promoted the spelling Guna.
Where did the Kuna Indians come from?
Kuna, also spelled Cuna, Chibchan-speaking Indian people who once occupied the central region of what is now Panama and the neighbouring San Blas Islands and who still survive in marginal areas.
How many Kuna Indians are there?
Known for their colorful embroideries and fiercely independent way of life, the Kuna are a small yet proud community of around 300.000 people. The majority of Panama's Kuna population resides on the idyllic string of islands that speckles the Caribbean Sea.
What are the natives of Panama called?
Indigenous peoples of Panama, or Native Panamanians, are the native peoples of Panama. According to the 2010 census, they make up 12.3% of the overall population of 3.4 million, or just over 418,000 people. The Ngäbe and Buglé comprise half of the indigenous peoples of Panama.
What do you mean by Guna?
Guṇa (Sanskrit: गुण) is a concept in Hinduism and Sikhism, which can be translated as "quality, peculiarity, attribute, property". The concept is originally notable as a feature of Samkhya philosophy. The gunas are now a key concept in nearly all schools of Hindu philosophy.
What language do the Kuna speak?
Chibchan languageThe Kuna language (formerly Cuna, and in the language itself Guna), spoken by the Kuna people of Panama and Colombia, belongs to the Chibchan language family.
How many Kuna Indians are there in Panama?
around 300,000The beloved San Blas Islands of Panama are home to the native people known as Kuna Indians. A small, tight-knit group of indigenous people, the community is only made up of around 300,000 in total, with 50,000 living on the 49 major islands of San Blas.
What does Kuna mean in Native American?
The Kuna people, also known as Guna or Cuna, are an indigenous people of Panama and Colombia. In the Kuna language, they call themselves Dule or Tule, meaning “person.” The distinctive feature of this ethnic group is the high rate of albinos among its members.
How did Kuna get its name?
Some say it is an Indian term for “end of trail” which for the citizens of Boise it was the end of the trail for people wanting to catch the train out of town. Kuna was the main stop along the railroad for the city of Boise until 1887 when the railroad finally built tracks into Boise.
What are the Kuna famous for?
The Kuna of eastern Panama are renowned for successfully combating external threats that plague indigenous groups throughout the humid neotropics. For decades they have been stewards of their own semiautonomous homeland, Kuna Yala.
Who lives on the San Blas islands?
The native people living on the San Blas islands are the Kuna indians. They are a small but proud community of around 300.000 people in total. About 50.000 Kuna's live on the 49 major islands of San Blas and are controlled by their own community leader called a Sahila.
What is the culture of the Kunas?
The Kuna men wear traditional t-shirts and paints, while the women wear very colourful dresses and traditional Molas, reverse-appliqué designs on their chest. They also wear all over their arms and legs the traditional bracelets of multi colour beads called Winnis or Chaquiras in Spanish.
Where is Embera?
The Emberá are an indigenous people who live near the Panama-Columbia border. There are about 33,000 living in Darién, Panama, and 50,000 in Colombia.
What are the San Blas islands?
Islas MaquiCayos ChichimeIsla UcubsuabitIsla MiriaCalubirSan Blas Islands/Islands
Why did the Gunas migrate to Guna Yala?
These migrations were caused partly by wars with the Catio people, but some sources contend that they were mostly due to bad treatment by the Spanish invaders. The Guna themselves attribute their migration to Guna Yala to conflicts with the aboriginal peoples, and their migration to the islands to the excessive mosquito populations on the mainland.
When was the Guna flag adopted?
Alternate version adopted in 1942. The Guna flag was adopted after the 1925 rebellion against Panamanian suppression. Horizontal stripes have a proportion of 1:2:1 and the central swastika is an ancestral symbol called Naa Ukuryaa.
What is the Saila in Guna Yala?
In Guna Yala, each community has its own political organization, led by a saila (pronounced "sigh-lah"). The saila is customarily both the political and religious leader of the community; he memorizes songs which relate the sacred history of the people, and in turn transmits them to the people. Decisions are made in meetings held in the Onmaked Nega, or Ibeorgun Nega (Congress House or Casa de Congreso), a structure which likewise serves both political and spiritual purposes. In the Onmaked Nega, the saila sings the history, legends, and laws of the Guna, as well as administering the day-to-day political and social affairs. The saila is usually accompanied by one or more voceros who function as interpreters and counselors for the saila. Because the songs and oral history of the Guna are in a higher linguistic register with specialized vocabulary, the saila's recitation will frequently be followed by an explanation and interpretation from one of the voceros in informal Guna language.
What are the two Guna comarcas in Panama?
The other two Guna comarcas in Panama are Kuna de Madugandí and Kuna de Wargandí. They are Guna-speaking people who once occupied the central region of what is now Panama and the neighboring San Blas Islands and still survive in marginal areas.
What is the name of the mola in the Guna language?
Mola panels are used to make the blouses of the Guna women's national dress, which is worn daily by many Guna women. Mola means "clothing" in the Guna language. The Guna word for a mola blouse is Tulemola, (or "dulemola") "Guna people's clothing."
What race are the Guna children?
Guna children in 1927. The child in the center is albino. Guna people have a high incidence rate of albinism, which led to their nickname of " White Indians " in the early 1900s. In Guna philosophy, albinos (or "sipu") were given a special place and are considered a special race of people.
How many communities are there in Guna Yala?
The groom also takes the last name of the bride. Today there are 49 communities in Guna Yala. The region as a whole is governed by the Guna General Congress, which is led by three Saila Dummagan ("Great Sailas").
What are the Kuna women called?
The textiles pieces made by the Kuna women are called Molas. The world Mola translates to 'shirt' or 'clothing' in Dulegaya, the native language. Mola textiles originated with the Kuna Indians painting geometric shapes and designs on their bodies using any natural colours around them. They later weaved these designs into cotton pieces and later still sewed these patterns onto cloth.
What does Guna Yala mean?
Guna Yala in Kuna means "Land Guna" or "Guna Mountain". The area was formerly known as San Blas, and later as Kuna Yala, but the name was changed in October 2011 to "Guna Yala" when the Government of Panama recognized the claim of the people that "Guna" was a closer representation of the name in their mother tongue than "Kuna".
What do the Kuna call themselves?
The Kuna People. The Kuna call themselves Dule/Tule or Guna. With approx. 60.000 members the Kuna represent the biggest indigenous group in Panama, the worldwide second smallest people after the pygmies populate the 360 islands in the San Blas archipelago and the narrow strip on the Caribbean coast of Panama and Columbia since mid of 19th century.
What is the Kuna Yala?
The Kuna call this region Kuna Yala, or Guna Yala – home of the Kuna. While the Kuna who settled in Panama City often work as cooks or unskilled workers, the Kuna in the traditional communities are still engaged in agriculture, fishing, and trading with coconuts. The biggest part of the financial power belongs to the women, ...
What does Comarca de Guna Yala mean?
What does Comarca de Guna Yala means? Well Comarca is a Spanish word county or shire. They sometimes have region or state privileges such as the Guna does. Nevertheless since the region is now called Guna Yala it is often referred to as Comarca de Guna or Kuna. Strange thing is that world maps and for example Google maps still calls the region San Blas. This is probably due to the fact that the region is located in the waters of the Golfo de San Blas.
What is the official name of San Blas?
Comarca Kuna Yala is the official name of the San Blas area.
Why is San Blas called San Blas?
The name San Blas was given by the Panamanian government a long time ago because the region was located in and bordering the Golfo de San Blas. This is a large, by reefs and sandbanks, sheltered Golf that borders the Caribbean Sea.
Is San Blas still called Guna Yala?
So don’t worry about the correct name for the region since everybody knows this tropical paradise under its different names. Nowadays everybody calls Guna Yala still San Blas but this will probably change in the future.
When did the Kuna become independent?
In 1903 Panama became an independent country but the Kuna did not want to be part of Panama and where protesting against the new Panamanian government. In 1925 the Kuna communities gained the status of an independent state within Panama. This gave them more influence over their own culture and rules. In 1938 the Kuna made their own constitution called “La Carta Organica de San Blas”, which was approved officially approved by the Panamanian government in 1945.
What was the name of the constitution that the Kuna made?
This gave them more influence over their own culture and rules. In 1938 the Kuna made their own constitution called “La Carta Organica de San Blas”, which was approved officially approved by the Panamanian government in 1945.
What is the history of San Blas?
The story starts by telling you where the Kuna’s came from and why they inhabited the San Blas Islands.
Where were the first Kuna settlements?
The first real settlements of the Kuna were build on the Islands of San Blas around the year 1800. The Kuna had plenty of food and trade roots with different families, pirates and explorers, which benefited the growing of the community. Another important historical event that did not stop this growth in their community was that the islands had no jungle diseases that kept the numbers of Kuna people low in the years before because of deadly illnesses. These days the Guna receive healthcare of the Panamanian government if they need it. Yet, these days the numbers of the native Guna’s are declining since many leave to earn money outside Guna Yala.
Is the Kuna Empire open to tourists?
No tourist and scientist where allowed in the Kuna empire until the late 1940’s. After the 1940’s they began to open the borders and the first tourist followed the scientist, mostly anthropologists where visiting the San Blas. Nowadays the San Blas Islands are open for tourist and the Kuna run a pretty good tourist business.
What were the Kuna tribes?
In the 16th century the Kuna were an important group, living in federated villages under chiefs, who had considerable power, and engaging in warfare with each other and with neighbouring tribes . Agriculture was primarily based on slash-and-burn techniques, and there was extensive trade, mainly by canoe along the coast. They had a well-developed class system, with captives generally being enslaved. Important chiefs were carried in hammocks; their bodies were preserved after death and buried in large graves with their wives and retainers. Metallurgy was well developed, and numerous gold ornaments have been found in the graves, along with fine ceramicsand ornaments of shell.
How did European contact affect the Kuna?
The principal effects of European contact were to destroy the political superstructure of the Kuna and to modify the social and religious systems. In modern times they live in small villages and depend primarily on agriculture for subsistence, supplemented by fishing and hunting. Marriage is matrilocal, giving rise to extended families of several generations in which the son-in-law is under the authority of his wife’s father. Religion centres on shamans who cure the sick and practice various types of witchcraft. The sun and moon were formerly major deities, but the mythology has been much affected by European conceptions. The so-called white Indians of San Blas are actually albinos who constituteabout 0.7 percent of the Kuna population and are not permitted to intermarry.
What was the Kuna culture?
In the 16th century the Kuna were an important group, living in federated villages under chiefs, who had considerable power, and engaging in warfare with each other and with neighbouring tribes. Agriculture was primarily based on slash-and-burn techniques, and there was extensive trade, mainly by canoe along the coast.
Where do the Kuna live?
Singing style varies by community and genre; Kuna men perform curing songs with vocal tension; Bribri…. Panama: Ethnic groups. Next in numbers are the Kuna, who are found primarily in the San Blas Archipelago and on the coast nearby. The Chocó live mainly in the province of Darién.
What were the effects of European contact on the Kuna?
The principal effects of European contact were to destroy the political superstructure of the Kuna and to modify the social and religious systems.
What is the Guna language called?
The Guna language, called Dulegaya, is an aboriginal language part of the Chibchan family and considered endangered. Spanish is also widely used.
What is the Guna economy?
The Guna base their economy on agriculture, fishing and weaving traditional clothes which are exported internationally. They export lobsters and other fish, but they also consume imported foods and domestic animals. Coconut, plantains and cocoa are also exported, but tourism remains the primary income for the community on Guana Yala island.
What religion do the Guna worship?
The Guna have a creation myth with Pab Dummat, the Big Father, and Nan Dummat, the Big Mother. The religion named the "Father's Way". They often participate religious singing gatherings where the myth is narrated. Many Guna today attend Catholic and Protestant churches.
What are the three types of chants in Guna?
Guna verbal traditions include three different types of chants: the "pab ikar", historical, religious and political material sung by Sailas; the chants sung by kantules (ritualists) during female puberty rites; and finally, songs sung during healing ceremonies.#N#Guna dance groups are becoming popular among the youth, which often uses rattles and pan flutes during the celebrations.
Overview
The Guna, in the language itself spelled Kuna prior to a 2010 orthographic reform, are an Indigenous people of Panama and Colombia. The Congreso General de la Nación Gunadule since 2010 has promoted the spelling Guna. In the Guna language, they call themselves Dule or Tule, meaning "people", and the name of the language is Dulegaya, literally "people-mouth".
Location
Guna people live in three politically autonomous comarcas or autonomous reservations in Panama, and in a few small villages in Colombia. There are also communities of Guna people in Panama City, Colón, and other cities. Most Gunas live on small islands off the coast of the comarca of Guna Yala known as the San Blas Islands. The other two Guna comarcas in Panama are Kuna de Madugandí and Kuna de Wargandí. They are Guna-speaking people who once occupied the centr…
Political and social organization
In Guna Yala, each community has its own political organization, led by a saila (pronounced "sigh-lah"). The saila is customarily both the political and religious leader of the community; he memorizes songs which relate the sacred history of the people, and in turn transmits them to the people. Decisions are made in meetings held in the Onmaked Nega, or Ibeorgun Nega (Congress House or Casa de Congreso), a structure which likewise serves both political and spiritual purpo…
Flag
The Guna flag was adopted after the 1925 rebellion against Panamanian suppression. Horizontal stripes have a proportion of 1:2:1 and the central swastika is an ancestral symbol called Naa Ukuryaa. According to one explanation, it symbolizes the four sides of the world or the origin from which peoples of the world emerged. In another explanation, it symbolises the octop…
Culture
The Guna are famous for their bright molas, a colorful textile art form made with the techniques of appliqué and reverse appliqué. Mola panels are used to make the blouses of the Guna women's national dress, which is worn daily by many Guna women. Mola means "clothing" in the Guna language. The Guna word for a mola blouse is Tulemola, (or "dulemola") "Guna people's clothing."
Economy
The economy of Guna Yala is based on agriculture, fishing and the manufacture of clothing with a long tradition of international trade. Plantains, coconuts, and fish form the core of the Guna diet, supplemented with imported foods, a few domestic animals, and wild game. Coconuts, called ogob [IPA: okˑɔβ] in the Guna language, and lobsters skungit [skuŋkˑit] are the most important export produc…
History
Guna people were living in what is now Northern Colombia and the Darién Province of Panama at the time of the Spanish invasion, and only later began to move westward towards what is now Guna Yala due to a conflict with the Spanish and other indigenous groups. Centuries before the conquest, the Gunas arrived in South America as part of a Chibchan migration moving east from Cen…
Language
The Guna language is an aboriginal American language of the Chibchan family spoken by 50,000 to 70,000 people. Dulegaya is the primary language of daily life in the comarcas, and the majority of Guna children speak the language. Although it is relatively viable, Guna is considered an endangered language.
Spanish is also widely used, especially in education and written documents.