Quote:
Originally Posted by capn_billl
Seriously?
There was no canal, and no nation there before the US built it. The land was mostly uninhabited jungle that the US acquired legally from the surrounding people, NOT through military conquest.
Crack a history book.
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Seriously, perhaps
English is a second language to you but it is apparent that you don't know what the word Nation means when you falsely or ignorantly state
"there was no nation there [in Panama / within the isthmus] before the US built it [the canal]." So allow me to educate you with the definition of Nation.
na·tion:
Pronounced, /ˈnāSH(ə)n/
noun
a large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory.
Also note as maybe applicable:
A gringo or gringa is someone considered a foreigner from the perspective of Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries in Latin America. In Spanish and
English, gringo usually refers to an English-speaking male foreigner, especially one from the United States.
Well perhaps having the
privilege and honor to live within the Flathead Nation, the large reservation of the Confederated Salish, Kootenai and Coeur d'Alene tribes here in northwest Montana has provided me with an enlightened understanding, perspective and respect to the true native population and culture, and to their pre-euro contact history and belief and languages, and to temper what otherwise might be a euro-American / nationalistic / white pride / yankee doodle dandy / gringo or gringa mindset; my ancestry being of German, French and Irish stock. When my Dad retired from the U.S. Air Force back in the mid-1960's he was asked to become a Deputy Secretary of Transportation by the Johnson Administration, he turned that opportunity down; they then asked him if he would take a leadership role in the administration of the Panama Canal Zone, he also turned down that opportunity due to the civil unrest that was occurring over the US administration of the military governed canal zone and because he was generally sympathetic and empathetic to the anti-US imperialism, fundamental self-determination, sovereign desires of the nation's native populace. As a
family we were posted all over the world and within the country of the USA, and gained understanding of internationalism. My sister is the eldest of the siblings, she lived in 23 different homes before graduating from high
school.
FYI: im·pe·ri·al·ism
/imˈpirēəˌlizəm/
noun
a policy of extending a country's
power and influence through diplomacy or military force.
I often have to ask my fellow United Staters, to explain to me yet again: Exactly just what part of America is the United States NOT a part of?
FYI. Maybe one should try to learn by cracking a history book about the pre-euro contact indigenous cultures and fellow peoples of the Americas and not just apply a decidedly atypical Gringo attitude and mis-informed perspective.
Today, Panamanians are primarily Latino Americans whose racial and/or ethnic identity is Mestizo, i.e. a mixed ancestry of white European and Native American from Latin America (usually Iberian-Indigenous mixed ancestry). Not many Panamanians would self identify as being of USA heritage or citizenry, but they are every bit as much American, as we Yanks of the 50 states, being fellow people of the Americas. Panama is home to six indigenous American groups – the Ngöbe-Buglé, Emberá-Wounaan, Naso (Teribe), Guna (Kuna), Bri Bri, and Bokata. According to the 2000 census, these groups had a total population that reached slightly over 285,000, some 5-8% of the total Panamanian population. Despite the creeping influence of modern society, many of these groups continue to hold strongly onto their traditional culture and language.
The Guna (pop. 62,000) live along the
eastern Caribbean coast in the San Blas Archipelago. The Guna go by many names. Until only recently they were referred to as the Kuna, but in 2011 their name was officially changed to better reflect their native tongue, which lacks a “K” sound. Somewhat comically, the Guna don’t refer to themselves as Guna – it’s just the name they let huaga (foreigners) call them. Within their own circles, they are known as the Tule (pronounced TOO-lay).
The Guna are a fiercely independent people. They have fought wars with the Spanish and Emberá-Wounaan, and in 1925 won a revolt against the Republic of Panama, earning them the semiautonomous status that they enjoy today. Indeed, outsiders have been trying to steal their home for centuries, so it’s not surprising that the Guna are somewhat wary of outsiders. This is reflected today in their attitude towards tourists, which is somewhat mixed. Many welcome the economic opportunity of tourism, but hold strong to their belief that visitors should pay for the
privilege of visiting their comarca (even taking a
photo of a Guna will cost you $1). This reticence, however, has helped preserve their culture, and with the right amount of respect and understanding visitors can get a wonderful glimpse into their world.
Most Guna live on the islands in the archipelago, although a sizeable number still live on the mainland in the Darién forest.
Ngöbe-Buglé
The largest indigenous group in Panama is the Ngöbe-Buglé (pop. 188,000). The Ngöbe-Buglé (pronounced NO-bay BOO-glay) is actually comprised of two different, but culturally similar, groups – the Ngöbe and the Buglé. There are some ethno-linguistic differences between the two, but by and large the distinction is small, so they are often referred to in conjunction with one another. Traditionally this group was known as the Guaymí, but the name is used less nowadays.
The Ngöbe-Buglé won the rights to an enormous comarca in 1997, which is formed from
parts of the Chiriquí, Veraguas, and Bocas del Toro provinces. Most members of the group live in the mountains in western Panama.
Similar to the Guna, the Ngöbe-Buglé have largely resisted outside influence and has done well to preserve their culture. This is in part because their communities are scattered along huge, undeveloped tracts of land. Also like the Guna, they have maintained political autonomy while also enjoying representation in the Panamanian legislature.
The Ngöbe-Buglé survive on subsistence agriculture. The
men use slash-and-burn techniques to produce corn, rice, bananas, plantains and cassava. During the coffee season, many
men travel to plantations near Boquete to help with the harvest and bring back income to their families. The
women raise the
children and make handicrafts. Two of the most common handicrafts are the naguas (a hand-sewn, traditional dress made of appliqué) and the chacara (a bag woven from plant fibers). These crafts can often be found in markets and shops throughout the Chiriquí province.
Emberá-Wounaan
Similar to the Ngöbe-Buglé, the Emberá-Wounaan is comprised of two groups who are culturally similar but speak different languages. Although they are lumped together into one group these days, they were originally different people with different languages; some within the group still prefer to be thought of as separate peoples. They number around 29,000 and live mainly in comarcas along the
Caribbean and Pacific slopes of the Darién. Anthropologists believe that the two groups (the Emberá and Wounaan) emigrated from the Chocó region of
Colombia thousands of years ago.
The Emberá-Wounaan survive on subsistence agriculture and
fishing. Historically they were slash-and-burn farmers and hunters, but these days that practice is restricted due to their residency within a national park. Rice and maize plantations have popped up in the Darién in recent decades, thus allowing members of the group to work as seasonal laborers.
The Emberá-Wounaan have strong political autonomy in Panama, although they are beginning to feel the force from outside influences. Latinos are beginning to settle on their lands, and loggers are destroying much of their rainforest. What’s more, there is pressure to finish the Interamerican Highway all the way to
Colombia. Their cultural cohesion will ultimately depend on whether this highway is completed. If it happens, it will be difficult for the small groups living within the forest to avoid assimilation. In the last few decades, some Emberá-Wounaan moved from the Darién to communities along the banks of the Río Chagres, which empties into the Panama Canal near the Gatún Locks.
Naso
The Naso are a small indigenous group that lives in the northeastern reaches of Panama in the Bocas del Toro region. They are spread out in eleven communities along the Río Teribe, and are one of the last indigenous groups in the Americas that have a traditional monarchy.
According to records from the colonial Spanish empire, the Naso were present in mainland Bocas when the explorers arrived in the 16th century. Not surprisingly, conflicts arose, and the Spaniards drove the Naso off their land and into the highlands near the Costa Rican border.
It is estimated that there are only a few thousand Naso remaining in Panama, although some live in southern
Costa Rica as well. The Naso have remained isolated and relatively autonomous for decades, but these days their culture is threatened by youth migration, missionary activity, the encroachment of tourism, and a massive hydroelectric
project.
Unlike other indigenous groups in Panama, the Naso have not been granted their own comarca. This is serious because two forces are currently threatening their ancestral land – a developing ecotourism scene in Parque Internacional La Amistad (where many Naso live) and the construction of a massive hydroelectric
project along the Río Teribe. The Naso are also referred to as the Teribe, or Tjër Di. Tjër is the Naso’s principal god. Her name means Grandmother Water and forms the root of the word Teribe, the name of river that runs through this region.
Bri Bri
The Bri Bri are another indigenous group that live within the Bocas del Toro region of Panama. This group originated in the Talamanca reserve of
Costa Rica and some made their way to northern Panama; many Bri Bri, however, still live in Costa Rica. Only a few thousand live in Panama, and they speak both Bri Bri and Spanish. Most live without running water or electricity, and survive on a mix of subsistence agriculture, hunting and
fishing. Their relative isolation has allowed them to maintain their cultural identity, but has also resulted in less access to education and
health care.
The Bri Bri live in clans that are composed of their extended
family. The clans are matrilineal, which means that a child’s clan is determined by which clan his mother belongs to.
Women have an important role in Bri Bri society, and are the only ones who can inherit land or prepare cacao, a sacred drink that is used in rituals and ceremonies. As with other indigenous groups in the area, the cacao tree has a special place in Bri Bri culture. It is believed that their god, Sibö̀, turned a woman into the tree, and these days cacao branches are never used for firewood.
Bokata
The final, and smallest, indigenous group in Panama is the Bokata. They number just under a thousand and live in eastern Bocas del Toro and northwest Veraguas. The Bokata maintain their own language and culture, and until the late 1970s, there were virtually no roads through Bokata territory. However, the push of modern society is making it increasingly difficult for the Bokata to retain their cultural traditions and
customs. Every year the Bokata become more assimilated with the local Mestizo population.
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