Kuna Culture

Where women rule ! ... by Simon & Katerina

See more photos from our trip on our - Facebook page.

Matriarchal strength... High

• The family name follows the female line.
• The daughter inherits the family home & wealth.
• The Kuna islands are semi-autominous, and fiercely protect their culture.
• Handicrafts made by women (Molas), generate a large proportion of the family income.

Threats to the system... Low

• Men and women are leaving to work in the cities.
• More churches are being built on the Sanblas islands to convert the Kuna.

There are over 100 islands in the SanBlas Archipelago, each with its own domestic laws. Island chiefs are usually men, the women have separate meetings to discus political issues, although their traditional responsibility is in the home, controlling business, money and family.

We take a canoe out to Carti Subtupu, a small island with a generous population of 970, squashed on to its surface.

Not surprisingly, fresh water has to be brought from the mainland by dugout canoe. Mid-afternoon, women stand around yapping while they wait for the men to turn up with the water.

"When a man gets married he has to move to his mother-in-law's house to prove he is worthy," says Thomas our dormitary attendant.

"Sometimes you have to move to a different island," He points to an adjacent islet, just 100 metres away, "I am from over there," he says with a smile.

Painting the Kuna women proved quite a challenge.

"I sell Molas for $10 or $20, even for $100," says an arrrogant Kuna lady, "how much will you sell your painting for ?"

Molas are literally the backbone of the Kuna economy, charities and fair-trade organisations are selling them all over the world. Not to mention cruize ships that stop to scoop them up by the hundreds.

Luckily a cruize ship comes by while we are still on the island.

"We get a lot of income from a cruize ship visit, but none have passed this year, this one is the first," says Thomas the dormintary attendant.

At 5am the island is transformed into a maze of brightly coloured paths. Hundreds of Molas are on display, and everyone is busy dressing up in their best traditional outfits...

The men are not as successful as the women at selling. It is, infact, a one sided competition, because the tourist are only interested in buying the famous Molas from the women.

Many Kunas travel to Panama City to sell their crafts or seek a new life.

"I pay 60 Panama dollars a month (20 $US) to stay in this room," says an old Kuna lady.
"I sell Molas down on the quay near the French Embassy. It is sometimes difficult with tourists, because I can only speak a little spanish."

Her family sends her a steady supply of Molas, and someone from the islands comes to collect the money every month.

A girl arrives, she is dressed in jeans and a trendy tight top, she is staying with her grandmother - the old kuna lady.

"I can not wear traditional clothes here, because I have a job in Bella Vista as a house maid," she says proudly, "I prefer it here in the city now."