Kuna Yala
Encyclopedia
Guna Yala is an autonomous territory or comarca in Panama
, inhabited by the Kuna indigenous people.
The name means "Guna-land" or "Guna mountain" in the Kuna language
. The area was formerly known as San Blas
and afterwards as Kuna Yala, but it changed in October 2011 when the Panamanian Government recognized the Guna people's claim that in their native language there was no equivalent to the letter "K" and that the official name should be "Guna Yala" . The capital of Guna Yala is El Porvenir.
The Guna revolution began on February 25, 1925 when an armed group attacked the Panamanian police stationed on the islands of Tupile and Ukupseni. The police had been involved in the violent suppression of Kuna cultural practices and had been abusing the populations of various communities. The revolution was led by Nele Kantule
of Ustupu and Simral Colman of Aligandi. It took place after many meetings with the Panamanian government and even a delegation to the United States
.
The flag of Guna Yala was adopted in 1925, and is based on a swastika
design, an ancient symbol in Guna culture. A number of variations on the flag have existed over the years; red top and bottom bands instead of orange were previously used, and in 1942 a ring was added to the centre of the flag to differentiate it from the symbol of the Nazi
party (this version subsequently fell into disuse). To this day, different versions of the flag are used on different islands. The flag is most often seen on the islands which were directly involved with the revolution, such as Ustupu, Aligandi, and Ukupseni.
The autonomous status of the Guna was officially recognized in 1930 in response to political pressure by Guna leaders. The Comarca of Guna Yala was established in 1938, under the name of Comarca de San Blas. The comarca was formed from the provinces of Colón
and Panamá
. The governmental structure of Kuna Yala is defined in the Carta Orgánica, of Law 16 of 1953.
The Guna General Congress is the highest political authority of Guna Yala. It consists of representatives from all of the communities in Guna Yala and meets twice yearly. Each community has one vote regardless of population size. The Guna General Congress has a permanent office in Howard, in the former canal zone.
In April 2003, a meeting of representatives of the 68 Guna communities in the three comarcas of Guna Yala, Guna de Madugandí, and Guna de Wargandí, declared their desire to unite the three comarcas and were reprimanded by the Moscoso administration. The comarca is divided into three corrigimientos; Mulatupu, Aligandi, and Carti. Each corrigimiento is represented by one diputado in the national assembly of Panama. The governor of the comarca has an office in Porvenir. The comarca has no districts.
Guna Yala has an area of 924 square miles (2393 km²) and a population of 36,487 people (2004). The comarca consists of a strip of land stretching 232 miles (373 km) along the Caribbean
coast of Panama, bordering Colombia
and the province of Darién
. The San Blas Islands
, an archipelago of 365 islands, runs along the coast. About 36 of the islands are inhabited by Guna communities. An additional 13 communities are located on the mainland coast, for a total of 49 communities.
Corregimiento de Ailigandi
Corregimiento de Mulatupu
has a substantial presence in the region, as does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, both groups contributing to social, medical, agricultural and public-works projects. The Red Cross
likewise contributes medical aid and services in some of the more densely populated regions, and other religious groups - including the Catholic Church and various Evangelical
organizations - have presences there, though with more limited scope.
Tourism is a force in the Guna economy. There are several Guna-run hotels in the archipelago offering ecotours, fishing, snorkeling, and touring of nearby villages. Most tourism in Guna Yala is centered in the region of Carti, where there is a greater number of uninhabited islands and beautiful beaches. Other popular areas for tourism include Ukupseni and Isla Pino.
With an estimated 365 islands in the Guna Yala territories, many tourists arrive from Panama City by plane and stay in small lodges run by locals where they have an opportunity to sleep in active fishing villages and during the day are shuttled over to vacant islands in motorized canoes for a day of swimming and lounging in hammocks. Many islands can be rented for as little as $2/USD per day.
The islands of the archipelago are also a world-famous destination for cruising
sailors, some of whom spend months, or even years, anchored in the islands.
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, inhabited by the Kuna indigenous people.
The name means "Guna-land" or "Guna mountain" in the Kuna language
Kuna language
The Guna language, spoken by the Kuna people of Panama and Colombia, belongs to the Chibchan language family.-Vowels:Vowels may be short or long.-Consonants:...
. The area was formerly known as San Blas
San Blas
San Blas, the Spanish name for Saint Blaise, can refer to:*San Blas, La Rioja*San Blas Department*San Blas, Costa Rica*San Blas, Quito*San Blas, El Salvador* San Blas, Nadur* San Blas, Nayarit* San Blas, Sinaloa* San Blas Atempa, Oaxaca...
and afterwards as Kuna Yala, but it changed in October 2011 when the Panamanian Government recognized the Guna people's claim that in their native language there was no equivalent to the letter "K" and that the official name should be "Guna Yala" . The capital of Guna Yala is El Porvenir.
History
Nele Kantule
Nele Kantule Iguibilikinya was a famous chief and medicine man of the Kuna indigenous tribe of Panama and Colombia.He was born in Putorgandi, in what is today Ustupu Island, Panama...
of Ustupu and Simral Colman of Aligandi. It took place after many meetings with the Panamanian government and even a delegation to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The flag of Guna Yala was adopted in 1925, and is based on a swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
design, an ancient symbol in Guna culture. A number of variations on the flag have existed over the years; red top and bottom bands instead of orange were previously used, and in 1942 a ring was added to the centre of the flag to differentiate it from the symbol of the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
party (this version subsequently fell into disuse). To this day, different versions of the flag are used on different islands. The flag is most often seen on the islands which were directly involved with the revolution, such as Ustupu, Aligandi, and Ukupseni.
The autonomous status of the Guna was officially recognized in 1930 in response to political pressure by Guna leaders. The Comarca of Guna Yala was established in 1938, under the name of Comarca de San Blas. The comarca was formed from the provinces of Colón
Colón Province
Colón is a province of Panama. The capital is the city of Colón.This province has traditionally been focused in commerce , but also has natural resources that are being developed as tourist attraction, such as coral reefs and rainforests...
and Panamá
Panamá Province
Panamá is a major province of the country of Panama, containing the capital city, Panama City. The governor of the province is Mayin Correa, a former mayor of Panama City and elected by President Martinelli after being sworn in on July 1, 2009.-Districts:...
. The governmental structure of Kuna Yala is defined in the Carta Orgánica, of Law 16 of 1953.
The Guna General Congress is the highest political authority of Guna Yala. It consists of representatives from all of the communities in Guna Yala and meets twice yearly. Each community has one vote regardless of population size. The Guna General Congress has a permanent office in Howard, in the former canal zone.
In April 2003, a meeting of representatives of the 68 Guna communities in the three comarcas of Guna Yala, Guna de Madugandí, and Guna de Wargandí, declared their desire to unite the three comarcas and were reprimanded by the Moscoso administration. The comarca is divided into three corrigimientos; Mulatupu, Aligandi, and Carti. Each corrigimiento is represented by one diputado in the national assembly of Panama. The governor of the comarca has an office in Porvenir. The comarca has no districts.
Geography
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
coast of Panama, bordering Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and the province of Darién
Darién Province
Darién is a province in eastern Panama. It is also the largest province in Panama. It is hot, humid, heavily forested, and sparsely populated, having 48,378 habitants...
. The San Blas Islands
San Blas Islands
The San Blas Islands of Panama is an archipelago comprising approximately 378 islands and cays, of which only 49 are inhabited. They lay off the north coast of the Isthmus, east of the Panama Canal...
, an archipelago of 365 islands, runs along the coast. About 36 of the islands are inhabited by Guna communities. An additional 13 communities are located on the mainland coast, for a total of 49 communities.
Biosphere reserve
Guna Yala also houses a biosphere reserve called the PEMASKY Nature Park. PEMASKY stands for Proyecto de Estudio para el Manejo de Areas Silvestres de Guna Yala (Study Project of Management of the Wilderness Areas of Guna Yala). It was a project started in 1983 and dissolved in the next century. The Pemasky Nature Park is still there and is located near Nusagandi. This region is made to preserve both Guna-heritage, as well as the marine and land-ecosystems. The project aimed to do so by allowing the Guna-Indians to better handle their environment.Chief of state
Like other comarcas, the Guna Yala is directed by a governor. The acting governor in 2006 was Avelino Brenes.Communities
Corregimiento de Carti- Wichupwala
- Nalunega
- Gorbiski
- Carti Mamidup
- Uargandup
- Ailidup
- Orosdup
- Mandi Ubgigandup
- Arridup
- Narasgandup Dummad or Naranja Grande
- Narasgandup Bipi or Naranja Chica
- Akwadup
- Carti Sugdupu
- Carti Mulatupu
- Carti Yandup
- Carti Tupile
- Mirya Ubgigandup or Soledad MiriaSoledad MiriaSoledad Miria is a small Caribbean island of Panama with 1,014 inhabitants, lying at . The island is only 700 metres long but is densely populated. At approximately 9:30 pm on December 26, 2006, a fire started by the explosion of a gas cooker destroyed 39 buildings within 10 minutes, approximately...
- Dupir or San Ignacio de Tupile
- Mormakedup or Isla Maquina
- Mamardup
- Urgandi
- Nusadup
- Uargandup
- Yandup or NarganáNarganáNarganá or Yandup in the Kuna language is one of the islands belonging to the Kuna Yala, an autonomous territory or comarca in Panama. The culture in Nargana is influenced heavily by Panama and most people there are bilingual speaking both Spanish and the Kuna language...
- Akwanusadup or Corazon de Jesus
- Digir or Tigre
- Tikantiki or Niadup
Corregimiento de Ailigandi
- Magebgandi
- Nabagandi
- Aidirgandi
- Ukupa
- Irgandi
- UkupseniUkupseniUkupseni, also called Playón Chico, is one of the most populous islands in the Kuna Yala territory of Panama, 200 yards from the mainland...
or Playon Chico - Dad Nakue Dupbir or San Ignacio de Tupile
- AiligandiAiligandí- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
- Achutupu
- Mamitupu
- Ustupu
- Ogobsucun
Corregimiento de Mulatupu
- Mansucun
- Nabagandi
- Dubpak or Isla Pino
- Mulatupu
- SasardiSasardiSasardi is a town in the Kuna Yala province of Panama.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
- TubualaTubualáTubualá is a town in the Kuna Yala province of Panama.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
- Goedupu
- Isla Cuba
- Sukunya
- Yansipdiwar
- Anachukuna
- Armila
- Puerto Obaldia
Humanitarian work
In many cases the people lack adequate healthcare facilities and other basic needs. The Peace CorpsPeace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
has a substantial presence in the region, as does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, both groups contributing to social, medical, agricultural and public-works projects. The Red Cross
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
likewise contributes medical aid and services in some of the more densely populated regions, and other religious groups - including the Catholic Church and various Evangelical
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
organizations - have presences there, though with more limited scope.
Tourism
With an estimated 365 islands in the Guna Yala territories, many tourists arrive from Panama City by plane and stay in small lodges run by locals where they have an opportunity to sleep in active fishing villages and during the day are shuttled over to vacant islands in motorized canoes for a day of swimming and lounging in hammocks. Many islands can be rented for as little as $2/USD per day.
The islands of the archipelago are also a world-famous destination for cruising
Cruising (maritime)
Cruising by boat is a lifestyle that involves living for extended time on a boat while traveling from place to place for pleasure. Cruising generally refers to trips of a few days or more, and can extend to round-the-world voyages.- History :...
sailors, some of whom spend months, or even years, anchored in the islands.