by Divya Sharma
The last week has involved many lectures, a
field trip to Agua Salud, an evening excursion to a pond (replete with fish and
capped with a waterfall), a trip to the mall, lunch at the beach, dinner at a
tapas bar, a walk up a lighthouse, and a performance by Rubén Blades at the Panama Jazz Festival.
I think we’re settling in nicely.
Yesterday, as Alex mentioned, Richard Cooke
gave us our first anthropology talk about the isthmus as a bridge for the
migration of early colonists from the strait of Beringia down to the tip of
Chile. I found this talk particularly interesting, since my research will
consist of working with the Indigenous Peoples of Panama on land use
management, as part of the larger project of reducing emissions from
deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). The general idea of REDD+ is that
more developed countries pay for reforestation in less developed countries, in
order to offset carbon emissions and minimise global warming and climate
change. Part of the mandate of REDD+ is the explicit inclusion and
participation of local groups in the planning and implementation of
reforestation programmes. Nevertheless, much of the adversity facing the
project stems from its potential negative impacts on indigenous groups, such as
a decrease in autonomy and loss of traditional practices. Alex has already
mentioned some of the trials facing indigenous groups in Panama today, but here
is some more information about the different tribes on the isthmus.
The three main indigenous groups are the
Ngobe-Bugle (population of ~250 000),
the Kuna (~50 000) and the Choco or Embera-Wounan (~8000) (MRGI 2008). Panama
largely consists of a mestizo population of indigenous, Chinese, African and
Spanish origins. According to Richard Cooke, approximately 83% of Panamanians
cluster into native pan-American lineages, providing evidence for population
continuity (i.e. Panamanians are descended directly from original colonists who
arrived in the Americas around 10kya). Various microhabitats across the isthmus
enabled the trade of specialised products from the Caribbean to the Pacific.
When towns began to form, territories were divided into chiefdoms spreading
from the coast to the cordillera.
Currently, five out of seven indigenous
groups have officially recognised semi-autonomous territories, or comarcas. The Kuna, who inhabit the San
Blas Islands, have the most political power of the three groups, and secured
their comarca after a violent
uprising against the Panamanian government in 1925. According to Richard Cooke,
it is possible that the Kuna were present along the Caribbean coast at the time
of the arrival of the Spanish in the 15th century. The Ngobe-Bugle
lack the political clout that the Kuna maintain, given that they live in small
communities in the rainforest and are not as widely organised. The Choco live
in the Darien province near Colombia, and also lack the political influence of
the Kuna. Colombian refugees and mestizo squatters entering their area have
resulted in ongoing conflicts (MRGI 2008).
Panama’s strong indigenous traditions have
demanded that current REDD+ efforts focus on reconciling the social, political
and economic needs of the country’s indigenous culture with the necessity of
taking active steps to offset global climate change. While this balance of
interests poses a challenge, it is an essential consideration of any
environmental endeavour.
MRGI (Minority Rights Group International), World Directory
of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Panama : Overview, December
2008, available at:
http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/4954ce3823.html [accessed 21 January
2013]
Low tide at Veracruz beach
Dilapidated lighthouse in Gamboa
View of the Canal from the lighthouse
Walking along the one-lane bridge in Gamboa
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