- Location: Chagres National Park, Panama
- Population: 10 thousand people
- Area: 4398 sq. M. km
To date, the Republic of Panama is one of the most developed and modern states of Central America. One third of the indigenous population of the country are Indians, whose culture and customs are very interesting for foreign tourists.
However, this was not always the case. For many years these tribes were subjected to severe persecution by the Spanish conquistadors, because of which the locals were forced to hide in the depths of the impenetrable jungle. Fortunately, these terrible events have long been a thing of the past, and today we will tell you about one of the most famous Indian peoples - Embera-Woonaan (Embera-Wounaan).
Traditions of the tribe of Amber-Vounaan
The Indians live in the territory of the Chagres National Park , which is located in the east of the country, just 40 km from the capital of Panama . The population is approximately 10,000 people. Naturally, these people do not know English, but speak only local dialects and dialects: the southern ember, the northern ember and the vaunana (noanama).
The locals are very friendly and friendly people who always welcome guests. Moreover, the women of the tribe Ambera-Woonaan, greeting tourists, wear their best outfits, which usually consist of a small piece of cloth wrapped around the hips, and bright colorful beads that lightly cover the chest. It should be noted that such an unusual decoration is made of fine grains of sand, but the weight of the finished product sometimes reaches 3-4 kg.
For all visitors, travelers are very unusual, and therefore even more interesting, the culture and customs of Indigenous people. One of the crafts, which are mainly engaged in girls and women, is the weaving of baskets. By the way, today it is not only a hobby, but also a kind of business, after all, what could be better than a souvenir made by oneself? Ember-Vouunaan baskets can be of different shapes, sizes and colors, and the material for their manufacture is found locally in the rainforest. They are the fibers of the black chunga palm tree, which are often painted in other colors to create vivid drawings. As for the male part of the population, they are most often engaged in carving and making sculptures of palm fruits.
Catering and accommodation
Most tourists come here only for one day, so there are no specialized hotels and hostels here, as, indeed, restaurants. If you want, you can stay with local residents who will not only welcome foreigners, but they will also gladly feed you.
The basis of nutrition of the Indians of Amber-Wounaan is the products found in the forest, since it is forbidden to engage in agriculture in the territory of the Chagres Park. For the same reason, many guides advise inexperienced travelers to bring with them as a gift not chocolate and other sweets, namely fruits, which are very few here.
Useful information for tourists
Travel from Panama City to the Chagres National Park, part of which is the ancient Indian tribe of Embera-Vounaan, you can go by yourself in a rented car or as part of an excursion group.
To get to the settlement, you will have to use a boat or a raft and sail along the muddy waters of the Chagres River for about 10 minutes. To reach the destination, you need to go a little further along the rainforest.