Kuna (people)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kuna | |
|---|---|
| Total population | about 50,000 |
| Regions with significant populations | Panama, Colombia |
| Language | Kuna, Spanish |
| Religion | traditional Kuna religion, various Christian religions including Baptist, Catholic, and Mormon <tr>
<th style="background-color:#fee8ab;">Related ethnic groups</th> <td style="background-color:#fff6d9;">other Chibchan-speaking peoples, Miskito</td> </tr> |
The Kuna are often mistakenly identified as being related to the extinct Cueva people.
The Kuna live in three politically autonomous comarcas or reservations in Panama, and in a few small villages in Colombia. There are also communities of Kuna people in Panama City, Colón, and other cities. The greatest number of Kuna people live on small islands in the comarca of Kuna Yala. The other two Kuna comarcas in Panama are Kuna de Madugandí and Kuna de Wargandí.
In Kuna Yala, each community has its own political organization, led by a sahila. Decisions are made in meetings held in the Onmaket Nega (Congress House). Today there are 49 communities in Kuna Yala. The region as a whole is governed by the Kuna General Congress, which is led by three Sahila Dummagan. See also Kuna Yala.
[edit] Economy
The economy of Kuna Yala is based on agriculture and fishing, with a long tradition of international trade. Plantains, coconuts, and fish form the core of the Kuna diet, supplemented with imported foods, a few domestic animals, and wild game. Coconuts, called ogob in the Kuna language, and lobsters are the most important export products, and migrant labor and the sale of molas provide other sources of income. Most imported goods originate from Colombian ships and are sold in retail stores owned by Kuna people. Tourism is an important part of the economy in the Carti region, and abandoned goods from the drug trade provide occasional windfalls.
The Kuna are famous for their molas, a colorful textile art form made with the techniques of applique and reverse applique. Mola panels are used to make the blouses of the Kuna women's national dress, which is worn daily by many Kuna women. Mola means "clothing" in the Kuna language. The Kuna word for a mola blouse is dulemola, "Kuna people's clothing."
[edit] History
The Kunas were living in what is now Colombia at the time of the Spanish invasion, and only later began to move westward towards what is now Kuna Yala. Centuries before the conquest, the Kunas arrived in South America as part of a Chibchan migration moving east from Central America. At the time of the Spanish invasion, they were living in the region of Uraba and near the borders of what are now Antioquia and Caldas. Alonso de Ojeda and Vasco Nunez de Balboa explored the coast of Colombia in 1500 and 1501. They spent the most time in the Gulf of Uraba, where they made contact with the Kunas.
There is a wide consensus regarding the migrations of Kunas from Colombia and the Darien towards what is now Kuna Yala. These migrations were caused partly by wars with the Catio people, but mostly by bad treatment by the Spanish invaders.
[edit] Language
The Kuna language is a Native American language of the Chibchan family spoken by 50,000 to 70,000 people. Kuna is the primary language of daily life in the comarcas, and the majority of Kuna children speak the language. Spanish is also widely used, especially in education and written documents. Although it is relatively viable, Kuna is considered an endangered language.ca:Kuna (ètnia) de:Kuna (Volksstamm) es:Kuna (etnia) eo:Tuloj fr:Cunas it:Cuna pt:Cunas
