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Kuna
Total population
about 50,000
Regions with significant populations
Panama, Colombia
Language(s)
Kuna, Spanish
Religion(s)
traditional Kuna religion, various Christian religions including Baptist, Catholic, and Mormon
Related ethnic groups
other Chibchan-speaking peoples, Miskito

Kuna or Cuna is the name of an indigenous people of Panama and Colombia. The spelling Kuna is currently preferred. In the Kuna language, the name is Dule or Tule, meaning "people." The name of the language in Kuna is Dulegaya, meaning "people's language."

The Kuna are often mistakenly identified as being related to the extinct Cundara people. They have some of the same traditions but have a totally different background.

The Kuna live in three politically autonomous comarcas or reservations in Panama, and in a few small villages in Colombia. There are also communities of Kuna people in Panama City, Colón, and other cities. The greatest number of Kuna people live on small islands in the comarca of Kuna Yala. The other two Kuna comarcas in Panama are Kuna de Madugandí and Kuna de Wargandí.

In Kuna Yala, each community has its own political organization, led by a Sahila (pronounced "sai-lah"). The Sahila is traditionally both the political and spiritual leader of the community; he memorizes songs which relate the sacred history of the people, and in turn transmits them to the people. Decisions are made in meetings held in the Onmaket Nega (Congress House or Casa de Congreso), a structure which likewise serves both political and spiritual purposes. It is in the Onmaket Nega that the Sahila sings the history, legends and laws of the Kuna, as well as administering the day-to-day political and social affairs. The Sahila is usually accompanied by one or more voceros who function as interpreters and counsellors for the Sahila. Because the songs and oral history of the Kuna are in a more traditional dialect, the Sahila's recitation will frequently be followed by an explanation and interpretation from one of the voceros in either their island's dialect or Spanish.

Today there are 49 communities in Kuna Yala. The region as a whole is governed by the Kuna General Congress, which is led by three Sahila Dummagan. See also Kuna Yala.

Contents 1 Economy 2 History 3 Language 4 Medicinal plants 5 References

The economy of Kuna Yala is based on agriculture and fishing, with a long tradition of international trade. Plantains, coconuts, and fish form the core of the Kuna diet, supplemented with imported foods, a few domestic animals, and wild game. Coconuts, called ogob in the Kuna language, and lobsters are the most important export products, and migrant labor and the sale of molas provide other sources of income. Most imported goods originate from Colombian ships and are sold in retail stores owned by Kuna people. Tourism is an important part of the economy in the Carti region, and abandoned goods from the drug trade provide occasional windfalls.

The Kuna are famous for their molas, a colorful textile art form made with the techniques of applique and reverse appliqué. Mola panels are used to make the blouses of the Kuna women's national dress, which is worn daily by many Kuna women. Mola means "clothing" in the Kuna language. The Kuna word for a mola blouse is dulemola, "Kuna people's clothing."

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The Kunas were living in what is now Colombia at the time of the Spanish invasion, and only later began to move westward towards what is now Kuna Yala. Centuries before the conquest, the Kunas arrived in South America as part of a Chibchan migration moving east from Central America. At the time of the Spanish invasion, they were living in the region of Uraba and near the borders of what are now Antioquia and Caldas. Alonso de Ojeda and Vasco Nunez de Balboa explored the coast of Colombia in 1500 and 1501. They spent the most time in the Gulf of Uraba, where they made contact with the Kunas.

There is a wide consensus regarding the migrations of Kunas from Colombia and the Darien towards what is now Kuna Yala. These migrations were caused partly by wars with the Catio people, but some sources contend that they were mostly due by bad treatment by the Spanish invaders. The Kuna themselves attribute their migration to Kuna Yala to conflicts with the native peoples, and their migration to the islands to the excessive mosquito populations on the mainland.

The Kuna language is a Native American language of the Chibchan family spoken by 50,000 to 70,000 people. Kuna is the primary language of daily life in the comarcas, and the majority of Kuna children speak the language. Spanish is also widely used, especially in education and written documents. Although it is relatively viable, Kuna is considered an endangered language.

The Kuna have historically used a number of plants for medicinal purposes:

• Coa-Coa- used for fighting heart disease and high blood pressure.^[1]
• Abior (Dieffenbachia pittieri) – used for skin ailments and to drive away bats and evil spirits. Also used to control leaf cutter ants.^[1]
• Bachar (Pothomorphe peltata) – used to treat snakebite.^[1]
• Beno (Pachira aquatica - the Malabar chestnut) – used to treat skin inflammations and abscesses.^[1]
• Dingugia, Ina Gaibid (Neurolaena lobata) – one of the primary plants used for snakebites. Also used for general inflammation and other body irritations.^[1]
• Dior Nugargid (Cyathea petiolata) – used for pains from rheumatism and arthritis.^[1]
• Dubsangid (Aristolochia pfeiferi) – used to wash sores caused by snakebite.^[1]
• Esnargan (Acrostichum aureum) – used to treat dizziness, vertigo, and headaches.^[1]
• Guabeu (Malouetia isthmica) – used to treat diarrhea, sore throat, and snakebite.^[1]
• Guandulu (Pentagonia wendlandii) – used to treat snakebite.^[1]
• Gugdar (Xanthosoma robustum) – used to treat irritated skin.^[1]
• Guiba (Jatropha curcas) – used to induce vomiting.^[1]
• Gurgur Sapi (Himatanthus articulatus) – used to treat skin ulcers and sores.^[1]
• Ikonasi, Ganniriko (Randia aculeate) – used to treat body aches and pains.^[1]
• Ina Gaibid (Simaba cedron) – used for gastrointestinal pain, body aches, and snakebite.^[1]
• Mammar Dubaled (Philodendron brevispathum) – used to cure sexual impotence, and to invigorate the weak. Once used to treat epilepsy.^[1]
• Morgauk, Inaguag (Sapindus saponaria) – used to alleviate flu and colds.^[1]
• Naibe Uar (Dracontium dressleri) – used to treat throat irritations and to wash out snakebite wounds.^[1]
• Naibe Ugia (Tectaria vivipara) – used to prevent people from thinking about snakes.^[1]
• Nidirbi Sakangid (1) (Anthurium ochranthum) – used to treat psychological disorders.^[1]
• Nidirbi Sakangid (2) (Anthurium subsignatum) – used to treat dizziness and snakebite.^[1]
• Obser (Dulup sigagid) – used to treat hemorrhoids and to provoke vomiting.^[1]
• Oluka Dubaled (Clidemia epiphytica) – a remedy for drooling and excessive perspiration.^[1]
• Surmas (Compsoneura sprucei) – used before labor and to treat epilepsy.^[1]
• Udud Bungid (Quassia amara) – used to treat diabetes and snakebite.^[1]
• Ueruer Sorbi Dubgid (Gurania makoyana) – used to wash snakebites.^[1]

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z} Ventocilla, J., H. Herrera, and V. Nunez. Plants and Animals in the Life of the Kuna. University of Texas Press, 1995.

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