Indigenous peoples of Panama

Embera girl, Darién Province, 2006

A Kuna woman on the San Blas Islands

Kuna house on the San Blas Islands, 2007

Indigenous peoples of Panama, or Native Panamanians, are the native peoples of Panama. According to the 2000 census, there are 285,231 indigenous peoples living in Panama,^[1] and they make up almost 5% of the overall population. The Guaymí and Ngöbe-Buglé comprise half of the indigenous peoples of Panama.^[2]

Many of the tribes live on comarca indígenas,^[1] which are administrative regions for an area with a substantial Indian populations. Three comarcas (Comarca Emberá-Wounaan, Kuna Yala, Ngöbe-Buglé) exist as equivalent to a province, with two smaller comarcas (Kuna de Madugandí and Kuna de Wargandí) subordinate to a province and considered equivalent to a corregimiento (municipality).

Indigenous groups

• Bokota, Bocas Del Toro
• Embera, southeastern Darién Province
• Guaymí (including the Movere and Murire peoples), mainly Chiriquí Province
• Kuna, Darién Province and Caribbean side.
• Ngöbe-Buglé, mainly Chiriquí Province
• Talamanca
• Teribe^[2]
• Wounaan, southeastern Darién Province

Languages

Some native peoples speak Spanish, while many more retain their traditional languages. According to the 2000 census, the following indigenous languages are spoken in Panama:

• Bokota language: 933 speakers (in Panama)
• Bri-bri language: 2,521 speakers
• Buglé language: 17,731 speakers
• Emberá language: 22,485 speakers
• Kuna language: 61,707 speakers
• Naso-Teribe language: 3,305 speakers
• Ngöbe language: 169,130 speakers
• Wounaan language: 6,882 speakers^[1]

Notes

1. "Indigenous Peoples in Panama." International Work Group for Indian Affairs. (retrieved 23 Feb 2011)
2. "Panama History: Indigenous People." Panama Experts. (retrieved 23 Feb 2011)

External links

• Distribution of Indigenous Populations in Panama by Province and Comarca, 2000