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The Ulus of the Kuna
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17154 |
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Section : |
CULTURE
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| Issue
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12 / 1990 |
3,359 Words |
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Tom Zydler
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Our goal was to find, by boat, the remaining indigenous cultures of the insular and coastal regions of the Caribbean Sea. Initially, it seemed a daunting task. All through the Greater and Lesser Antilles, the once numerous pre-European inhabitants have been replaced with populations foreign to the area. Small pockets of people who are aware of their Carib origins exist on the islands of St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and, most notably, on Dominica.
Having traveled south along the stepping-stones that the Leeward and Windward Islands once provided for the canoe invasions from South America, we reached the Caribbean coast of Venezuela. There it became obvious that the native tribes had either disappeared or retreated in to the interior. Colombia had to remain unknown to us, as her coastline offered a more threatening adventure than we were prepared to take on. We continued westward. On the lee shores of Golfo del Darien, under the shadow of the green mountains of San Blas territory of Panama - where the Kuna Indians live - we struck gold.
They must travel by boat
Off a small village of Anachucuna, a dugout canoe approached us. Propelled by a large spritsail, its boldly carved bow cut a straight course toward us, and it eventually rounded up alongside. Ten minutes later, as we gingerly boarded it to go ashore, we noticed that the boat felt unusually stable for a narrow canoe. In the village, we saw the intricately designed women's blouses. No less intriguing were the brilliantly colored beadwork on their arms and legs, the shiny gold rings on their noses, and their gold plate pendants. But what was most fascinating to me as a boatsman was the row of dugouts pulled ashore on balsa rollers. They were clearly the wood carver's boats; the daring lines and the sweeping sheer of the black hulls somehow lent them a defiant character. It was evident that the nation of Kuna Indians had successfully weathered the onslaught of the Spanish.
It turned out that our first dreamlike village was one of the rare mainland settlements. Most of the Kuna people live on the even more lovely offshore islands that fringe the 110 miles of mountainous coastline. Columbus wrote that there were as many islands here as days in a year, but his estimate was low. The islets look like what the readers of Mutiny of the Bounty would conceive to be the island paradise of the South Pacific. Thatched huts hide under swaying coconut trees that often grow in dense but orderly groves. Although they bring romantic associations to us, these palms look like money to the Kunas. The coconut has been their only cash crop for well over one hundred years, perhaps longer.
The inhabited islets lie in the vicinity of fertile rivers that wind through the virtually virgin forests of the mainland. To cultivate and reap their crops, the Kunas must travel by boat. Because the offshore islands are largely devoid of fresh water, the Kuna women must sail to the rivers as water carriers. The boats are also used to reach hunting grounds or to venture to the outer reefs to fish. Visiting relatives, attending festivals, or going to an island with a store - all demand that each person master the use of paddle and sail in a dugout boat, or, in the Kuna language, an ulu. It is a pleasure to watch a Kuna girl sliding by in an ulu full of water gourds, each powerful and perfectly timed stroke of the paddle sending her on an unwavering course or, on a January hazy dawn to see a father and
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