San Blas Islands, Panama

The San Blas Islands are a vast archipelago on Panama’s Caribbean coast comprising over 340 islands. They are unique in many ways, home to the indigenous Kuna Indians who have best preserved their culture and traditions out of all the tribes in the Americas. They also boast one of the most untouched stretches of virgin rainforest and cruising grounds of incredible beauty. The islands and the associated mainland territory are called Kuna Yala which has changed little from the times before the Spanish Conquista at which time they numbered between 500,000 and 750,000.

Today, only 55,000 remain after suffering from violent inroads by outsiders. The Kunas rebelled in 1925 and, eventually in 1938, the Panamanian government granted them almost autonomous rule. They agreed to be part of the Republic of Panama on condition that the government respects their tribal laws, traditions and culture.

Through the turmoil of their history, the Kunas developed a socio-political system equal to any of the developed western countries with a strict hierarchy of tribal leaders. Three ‘Caciques’ or high chiefs rule the nation as a whole, each one representing his part of the land and, of these, one is elected supreme leader of the Kuna nation. Each village has a 'saila' (chief) the highest position on the village level who presides over a local daily congreso and has 2 or 3 deputy sailas as well as one or more interpreters of the metaphorical pronouncements of the first saila, a man versed in Kuna traditions. Additionally, they have minor sailas in charge of cemeteries, hut building, communal agricultural projects, etc. and every Kuna must ask permission and pay for a permit to go to another village or island. Their strict policies do not allow marriage outside the Kuna nation, in fact, until recently, it was difficult to marry outside their own village.

The mainstay of the economy is coconuts which grow en masse on the outlying islands. Until a few years ago, coconuts were the official means of exchange with every coconut palm owned by a tribal member even those on remote offshore islands. So far, we have noticed that coconuts are still ‘banked’ at the local shops to earn credit for goods and the Colombian boats trade rice, sugar, coffee, etc for them. The women make money selling ‘molas’, beautiful appliqué fabrics which are intricately made by sewing and cutting different layers of colourful cloth. These form the main part of the blouse worn by the Kuna women and, with the lower half of their arms and legs covered in geometric beaded patterns, as well as gold around their necks, in their ears, noses and teeth, they are a blaze of colour. These molas have become Panama's most famous handicraft and we are approached to buy them in every village we visit.