Sometimes we capture some pretty cool little clips that we would like to share with you, but we are not ready for a full video. So, to pass on the cool stuff, we are introducing Bocas Shorts – a video series that is well under a minute yet gives you a quick glimpse into some thing uniquely Bocas del Toro, Panama. Here is episode 1 where we show you how a Ngabe woman begins processing the leaves she uses to ultimately make a chacara.
Panama is home to nine different ethnic groups of native Panamanians. There are seven indigenous cultures: Kuna, Ngobe, Buglé, Emberá, Wounaan, Talamanca, Bokata, Teribe and Cricamola. Many of the tribes live on comarca indígenas, which are administrative regions for an area with a substantial indigenous population.
Three comarcas (Comarca Emberá-Wounaan, Kuna Yala, Ngöbe-Buglé) exist as equal to a province, with two smaller comarcas (Kuna de Madugandí and Kuna de Wargandí) subordinate to a province and considered equal to a corregimiento (municipality).
Bocas del Toro is home to three different indigenous cultures: Ngobe, Buglé, Teribe and Cricamola. The Ngöbe-Buglé have come together in a comarca in parts of Bocas del Toro, Chriqui and Veraguas. This group amounts to over 60% of the country’s indigenous population (5% of the country’s total population).
Ramon and Natalia have pulled together a number of photos for us to share with you. At Tranquilo Bay we have employees from both the Ngöbe-Buglé and Teribe cultures, but we meet people of all the different cultures throughout our travels here in Panama.
