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Guna Yala

Coordinates: 9°17′46″N 78°20′39″W / 9.29611°N 78.34417°W / 9.29611; -78.34417
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Guna Yala
District
Country Panama
ProvinceGuna Yala
Area
 • Total130 sq mi (337 km2)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total15,541
Time zoneUTC-5 (ETZ)
Main Land Beaches.

Guna Yala [1] is an indigenous region of Panama inhabited by ethnic Guna. Formerly the region was called San Blas until 1998[2] as Kuna Yala until 2010. Its capital is El Porvenir. It is bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea, on the south by the Darién Province and Embera-Wounaan, on the east by Colombia and on the west by the province of Colón.

Etymology

Yala Guna in Kuna means "Land Guna" or "Guna Mountain". The area was formerly known as San Blas, Kuna Yala and later, but was changed in October 2011 when the Government of Panama recognized the claim of the people Guna in their mother tongue was not equivalent to the letter "K" and the official name should be "Guna Yala."

History

Perro Island, Guna Yala

By Act of June 4, 1870 of Colombia was created Shire Tulenega, which also included the present territory of the District Guna Yala, the various communities of the District of Wargandí as Mordi, and Sogubdi Asnadi, as well as the communities of the region of Madungandi as Tiuarsicuá, and communities Guna of Colombia, as Tanela and architecture. The land area of ​​the Shire Tulenega stretching from the province of Colon coming to the Gulf of Urabá, Colombia. The head of government of the region was generally exercised by a commissioner appointed by the central government. The law also recognized the Guna, the land in the Shire.

After separation of Panama in 1903, was completely unknown the Act of 1870, and also the territory of the former region, was divided de facto into two parts: the majority remained in the new Republic of Panama, while a small portion remained in Colombia.

The suspension of the region, banana concessions, the incursions of outsiders Guna village in search of gold, rubber, sea turtles and colonial police abuse caused great discontent among the natives and brought the February 25 of 1925, the Revolution Guna, led by Nele Kantule of the town of Ustupu and Ologintipipilele (Simral Colman) of Ailigandi. The Guna armed, attacked the police on the islands and Ugupseni Tupile, as they were accused of suppressing the customs gunas and make abuses in several communities. In this revolution was proclaimed Guna ephemeral Republic of Tule, separating the central government of Panama for a few days.

The subsequent peace treaty established the commitment of the Government of Panama to protect the customs Gunas. The Gunas in turn, accepted the formal school system development in the islands. The police brigade would be expelled from the Indian territory and all the prisoners released. The negotiations that ended the armed conflict constituted a first step to establish the autonomous status of the Guna and recover the culture that was being lost.

Based on Article 5 of the Constitution 1904, which says it believes the law allows political divisions with special or for reasons of administrative convenience or public service, legislation on indigenous territories in Panama began to be defined with the establishment of the Guna District of San Blas, in 1938, including areas of the provinces of Panama and Columbus, then, defining its boundaries and administration by Act No. 16 of 1953.

Currently, according to the ruling of the Supreme Court of 23 March 2001, the region has a different political and administrative organization, independent of the Districts and Villages. The counties are governed by special institutions themselves, and by resolution of Division of the Supreme Court, on 6 December 2000, an institution is the consent of indigenous peoples who wish to develop projects in their territories.

Government and politics

The governmental structure of Guna Yala is defined in Law 16 of 1953. The General Congress Guna is the highest political authority of Yala Guna consists of representatives of all communities in Guna Yala and meets twice a year. Votes are taken by each sahila of the community.

Guna Districts and districts of Yala

Yala Guna has no districts, but four townships. These are:

Yala Guna Communities

Geography

This map (in English) shows the three counties, including Yala Guna on the northeast coast but Wargandí Mostar and Madugandí.

The Guna District of Yala has an area of ​​2.306 km ². It consists of a narrow strip of land of 373-kilometre (232 mi) long on the east coast of Caribbean Panama, bordering the province of Darien and Colombia. An archipelago of 365 islands around the coast, of which 36 are inhabited.

Economy

The Economics of Guna District of Yala is mainly engaged in agriculture, fishing, handicraft production, and tourism.

The type of agriculture practiced in the district of Yala Guna is for subsistence purposes. Traditional products are bananas (now the Chinese banana), corn and sugar cane. Coconuts are also produced as a source of income.

The fishery is artisanal, usually using wire (line) or networks. Most fishing is for sale. The seafood is especially intended for sale, for which planes come daily to the islands. Especially sells lobster, crab (crab) and ultimately the squid and octopus.

The production of molas is the main activity of women guna and is for many families the only source of income or at least the principal.

In Yala Guna District of tourist facilities there. Most are small hotels for ecotourism. Most of them are in the field of Cartier, but there are also several in the township of Ailigandi.

Other sources of income are remittances from relatives working in the cities of Panama and Colon.

Customs and traditions

Among the most important traditions of the people mentioned Guna: "Ico-inna" or Feast of the needle than for a more accurate translation is the feast of puberty or what the Western world is known as the party or wedding. where a young girl after her first menstrual period is made a party where it pierces the septum of the pubescent female placing a ring with coconut oil as an antiseptic. In childhood between 4 and 5 takes place the ceremony of "inna-suit" or baptism is performed in the first haircut, which was attended by all the people in the community, she is assigned a name in the language Guna to the female. This name is next to the name given the country's official language. The Night festival or "inna-mutiki" is a party where all the people involved to celebrate a wedding or a new marriage in the village or community, this festival usually lasts for several days until the end of the whole liquor that has garnered the families.

Demographics

The Guna District of Yala has a population of 31,557 inhabitants (2010), which shows a progressive decrease in the population.

Guna Revolution

Guna Revolution refers to the events in 1925, in which the Indians fought gunas to the Panamanian authorities, which forced the Indians to westernize its culture by force. In this revolution was proclaimed the Republic of Tule, short-lived. When re-united with Panama, the gunas with the support of the Panamanian government, created an autonomous territory called Guna district of Yala indigenous and ensuring security of the population and culture Guna.

Background

During the first twenty years as an independent country of Panama, the Kuna had serious differences with national governments, because they tried to eradicate their culture, their customs and their disrespect indigenous authorities wanted to strip the land apart and were outraged by the governors and the colonial police (a settler to a native, is a non-Indian). This is linked to an incident on April 20, 1921, which was staged in the Heart of Jesus Narganá and Westernization movement for women, which was to change clothes, take away the gold ring of the nose, the plates high carat gold, beads, winks and coin necklaces worn ornaments. But a woman escaped and fled to Rio Narganá Sugar, from which it came. The police in retaliation remained imprisoned his children and his son, who was released to the outside to look. That day at Sugar River had an indigenous congress and there it was decided not to let the woman go, so the sahila on behalf of the community sent a message saying that the police were not looking for it. The police did not heed the message that night and sent a commission to Rio Colonial Sugar two police officers and three Indians. When trying to stop some of the male relatives of women, began the battle and killed three residents of the town, two Indian policemen and others were injured with machete wildly as they fled in a canoe. The bodies of the policemen were left in the water, tied to a stick in the sand enlcavado until they came to collect their families. The atmosphere remained tense until January 1925. Juan Demosthenes Arosemena was the governor of the province of Colon, and was concerned about the information he had supplied the mayor of San Blas, Andrés Mojica, on a course between the indigenous independence movement, so we decided to tell the Foreign Secretary Horacio F. Alfaro, to follow closely the actions of Americans: Anne Coope missionary and explorer Richard Oglesby Marsh. Just Marsh was the promoter of the "independence". On his return to Panama in January 1925, found a conflict between police and indigenous to explode, so he asked the U.S. military intervention in the Canal Zone, to exercise a protectorate, and wrote the Declaration of Independence and Tule people's human rights and Darien. Marsh was supported by the U.S. ambassador, who helped the Panamanian government signed a peace agreement that would guarantee human rights and political rights of gunas.

Revolution

The flag of the Revolution Guna, adopted in 1925.

The situation worsened until February 12, 1925, in a conference held in Ailigandi Guna, where he met top leaders of 45 villages and tribes. The discussions lasted 26 days and decided to proclaim the Republic of Tule, and fixed territorial limits. This uprising came a flag, which was made by Waga Ebinkili (Mary Colman), granddaughter of Chief Simral Colman. It had a rectangular design with stripes. The center was red and with a figure swastika. On February 21, 10 days after the declaration of independence, in the midst of the Carnival indigenous revolution broke out that lasted until 27 February, which was led by Nele Gantule and the chief Colman. It is said that the insurgents were traveling in canoes from indigenous and Cartier Ailigandi the purpose of attacking the National Police headquarters in Playon Chico, Río Tigre, Tigantigí, Narganá, UGAP and elsewhere in the archipelago, and carried much of the police contingent. The toll was 27 dead. On 4 March, with the presence of the American minister, John G. South, was signed the peace agreement with the Indians and were promised a better deal respect for their customs, not to impose the establishment of schools, and were assured the same protection and rights enjoyed by other citizens. The Indians in turn, pledged to lay down their weapons, withdraw its declaration of independence and abide by the laws of Panama.

See also

References

  1. ^ National Congress decided to remove the letters P, T, K of their alphabet, the latter being replaced by the letter G. 20010.pdf National Congress Information Bulletin Guna, December 2010, Retrieved on November 15, 2011.
  2. ^ Law 99 of December 23, 1998. Official Gazette of Panama.

Panama in figures: Years 2000-2004, The Statistics and Census of the Comptroller General of the Republic

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Guna Yala.

Additional reading

  • Lecumberry, Michel. San Blas: molas and Kuna traditions. (2nd ed., rev) [Panama]: Txango Publications, 2006.
  • Humphreys, Sara and Calvo, Raffa. The Rough Guide to Panama. London: Rough Guides, 2010.
  • Baker, Christopher P. and Mingasson, Gilles. National Geographic Traveler: Panama. (2nd ed.) Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2011.

9°17′46″N 78°20′39″W / 9.29611°N 78.34417°W / 9.29611; -78.34417

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