The Emberá-Wounaan are known for carving coco-bolo, which is a type of wood that is used to make beautiful crafts. It is really hard to find coco-bolo close to the villages because it has all been cut down. Unfortunately I don’t have too many other pictures, but I have seen big carvings of iguanas, crocodiles, sword fish, etc. Here he is carving a masher to use in the kitchen and a cane.
Very well known throughout Panamá is the craft that the Emberá-Wounaan are known for is making canastas. These baskets are hand woven from a plant called chunga. It is dried out in the sun for the white color. The black color comes from cooking the chunga with coco-bolo. The yellow is derived from a plant, whereas the rest are from dyes. The women get together to make canastas and typically sell to tourists or vendors who come from Panamá.
The Colombians recently celebrated a quiceañera for a young girl in the village. The evening started with a traditional dance accompanied by chi bom-bom music. For the dance the women wore traditional beaded blouses and painted their bodies with jagua. The young girl was very drunk and carried by the women during the dance. After 30 minutes of dancing she was taken to her house.
Emberá-Wounaan are extremely warm and welcoming people as a whole. It doesn’t take much for an Emberá to start calling you djaba or a-che which mean ‘brother.’ The women aren’t particularly very shy either, and are quick to make friends. I was happy to have my friend Lynn come visit and be welcomed by the people in Playóna. Lynn borrowed a paruma from Lunia and was now in true Emberá style. She made friends with girls who are writing her letters and constantly asking me when she will come back.
Very well known throughout Panamá is the craft that the Emberá-Wounaan are known for is making canastas. These baskets are hand woven from a plant called chunga. It is dried out in the sun for the white color. The black color comes from cooking the chunga with coco-bolo. The yellow is derived from a plant, whereas the rest are from dyes. The women get together to make canastas and typically sell to tourists or vendors who come from Panamá.
The Colombians recently celebrated a quiceañera for a young girl in the village. The evening started with a traditional dance accompanied by chi bom-bom music. For the dance the women wore traditional beaded blouses and painted their bodies with jagua. The young girl was very drunk and carried by the women during the dance. After 30 minutes of dancing she was taken to her house.
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| Playing the shaker |
Emberá-Wounaan are extremely warm and welcoming people as a whole. It doesn’t take much for an Emberá to start calling you djaba or a-che which mean ‘brother.’ The women aren’t particularly very shy either, and are quick to make friends. I was happy to have my friend Lynn come visit and be welcomed by the people in Playóna. Lynn borrowed a paruma from Lunia and was now in true Emberá style. She made friends with girls who are writing her letters and constantly asking me when she will come back.
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