The Kunas

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The Kunas
BY VANE LUHRS AND BYRON FUNG
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I.Origins
a. Historical Background

• The Kuna Indians have had a contact with
  Europeans
• The arrival of the Spanish led to the changes in
  the Kuna culture.
• Many Kunas were killed in wars or by European
  diseases.
• Often the Kuna joined with the British against
  the Spanish.
• After the independence from Spain, the Kuna
  eventually joined with Panama rather than
  Colombia.
• In 1925 they had a rebellion, which resulted in
  the San Blas area becoming a Kuna reserve within
  the Republic of Panama.

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b. Geographical location

• They spread through the eastern cordillera, on
  the Caribbean Coast, Atlantic side of the
  Republic of Panama.
• 365 islands lay here and form an archipelago.
• The outsiders call them San Blas, but the Indians
  call it Kuna Yala (Kuna Land).
• About 40 of these islands are inhabited by the
  Kuna Indians.
• By 1990, the Panamanian government estimated that
  there are about 40,000 Kuna Indians living in San
  Blas.

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c. Climate

• The climate of Panama is hot and humid.
• There is a lot of rainfall that averages about
  254 cm. annually and seasonal.
• January to May is said to be the dry season, and
  May to September is the time of the most rain.
• Most of the Kuna territory is muddy and covered
  with tropical forest.

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II. Family and Social Life
a. Family Role

• The husband gathers coconuts, cultivates the
  food, provides firewood, repairs the house, makes
  his and his sons clothes, weaves baskets and
  carves wooden utensils.
• The wife prepares the food, collects fresh water
  from the mainland rivers, unloads the boats, sews
  female garments, washes the clothes and cleans
  the house.

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b. Social Structure

• The head of the household is the oldest male, who
  is the father or father-in-law of the other
  household men.
• Marriages are arranged by parents.
• Knowledge of Kuna tradition is still an important
  thing to determine the status and is the main
  thing on which village chiefs are elected by the
  adult men.
• The authority of the chief depends more on his
  ability to influence the people than on his
  office.
• Decisions on communal activities are decided in
  meetings of all adult males.

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III. Culture
a. Beliefs

• The Kunas are animists
• They also believe in the poni.
• They have small dolls carved out of balsa wood
  called the nuchus and they protect them from the
  poni.
• The saila or Kuna chief speaks for God just like
  a prophet.
• They believe they must work to please God so that
  he doesn't send an earthquake or other bad things
  against them. 

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b. Language

• The Kunas speak their own language called
  "Tule". 
• Some on the San Blas islands speak Spanish which
  is becoming their second language.
• Some even speak English because of the influence
  since the building of the Panama Canal and the
  many tourists going to the San Blas Archipelago.

c. Clothing

• The Kuna women wear wrap around skirts and
  hand-made blouses known as "molas". 
• The men wear a traditional Kuna shirt and less
  traditional pants, jeans, or shorts. 
• Kuna women also paint their faces with homemade
  red dye made from achiote seeds. 
• They usually wear a nose ring and paint a line
  down their nose.

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d. Molas

• The originality of a mola is a mixture of
  traditional Kuna culture with the influences of
  the modern world.
• They are inspired by modern graphics such as
  political posters, labels, pictures from books,
  and modern technology as well themes from
  traditional Kuna legends.
• When they wear out of a particular blouse, they
  sell the molas to collectors.
• The most valued molas are the ones that have
  actually been worn as part of a Kuna woman's
  costume.

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IV. Economy

• The Kuna economy is based on a mixture of
  hunting, fishing, collecting, farming, trade, and
  migratory work.
• Hunting isnt as important because has the men
  have focused their activities on slash-and-burn
  agriculture.
• The major crops are bananas, plantains, corn,
  yams, sweet potatoes, rice, sugarcane, sweet
  manioc, avocados, coconuts, and other tropical
  fruits.
• They are also dependent on the mainland for their
  water supply.
• These crops are also used in trade.

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V. Albinos

• For some unknown reason, there are a lot of
  albinos in the Kuna men.
• In order to help in their community, they do work
  that is usually for the women.
• They are not supposed to marry but the albino men
  are accepted in the community and their work is
  respected by their friends.

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THE END!!!