The Changing Kuna

The San Blas islands are an amazing cruising ground of extraordinary beauty, a chain of 369 beautiful palm fringed, sun bleached, coral islands in the turquoise sea that runs along Panama’s Caribbean coast for 140 miles.  Only a few islands are inhabited, they are populated exclusively by the Kuna Indians, who have best preserved their traditions and culture out of all the tribes in the America’s, that is, at least until recently.  

Kuna people are small in stature with thin limbs and disproportionately large heads.  They are a shy, gentle people, well known for their honesty.  They are also very clean, their huts and areas around the huts are kept swept and tidy. They collect fallen palm fronds, and trash from the beaches and burn it along with the coconut husks, they sweep the sand and keep their islands neat.  I’ve noticed that the only islands with trash (mostly from ships and yachts) on the beaches are the ones the Kuna’s do not live on.  Islands with huts are always clean.

Sadly the invasion of us yachties is changing their lives, and not for the better.  Hundreds and hundreds of us come here each year on our yachts, introducing our civilization and ways of life to these people, it’s bound to make a difference, and the changes are becoming very noticeable.

The most Eastern of the San Blas Islands have best preserved the traditional Kuna way of life; each village has 3 chiefs, no electricity, no alcohol and the women all dress in the traditional molas. 

Kuna lady outside her hut, working on a mola

The further West you go, the more changes you will see.  As far West as the Lemmon Cays you will see television Ariel’s protruding from bamboo huts.  Some  huts are now being built on stilts with wooden flooring, and decks around the outside. The Kunas sell wine and beer from their dug out canoes.  If you take a photograph of anyone they want $1 per photo.  Many of the Islands have Kunas demanding money just for setting foot on the Island.

On Rio Diablo the traditional ways of the Kuna have all but been forgotten.  Many of the people live in concrete houses, which are built between the bamboo huts; the Chiefs here have little to no authority and many of the women dress in western fashion, having abandoned the traditional molas.

Modern Kuna house on Rio Diablo

 I think it’s a dreadful shame, it’s all changing so fast, and I can’t help but wonder how long it will be before modern development is allowed on the Islands, with boutique hotels, shops and modern housing.

The San Blas is one of the most beautiful and unspoilt parts of the world, and I count myself very fortunate to have seen it while at least some of the old traditions are still in practice.