Congresso
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Sat 6 Mar 2010 14:10
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Saturday 6th March 0741Local
1241UTC
09:11.06N 077:58.60W
Yesterday we decided to stay where we were at
Mamatupu as we felt we would never find this experience and interaction with the
Kuna further North where they are more used to having people and are more
commercially savvy. We were advised by a cruiser who has spent many years in
this area to come way south to the bottom of the chain and to do
it now, as things were changing. We are so glad we stayed.
In the morning we went to the river, which is not
only where many of them have there cultivated land it is also where they have
their burial sites. Yesterday we went to ask congresso for permission and
in a general gathering of amused interest in us, outside the congresso we
were told by person after person "no problem". As I told you however,
I was unconvinced about the communication. As we came to enter the river there
was a very large swell breaking over the bar and the waves were rolling in.
There were a group of Kuna leaving the river and they were walking their canoes
along the shore. They waved us further down to enter and when we were at they
right spot they indicated for us to turn and come in. We followed their
instructions, the RIB only got swamped once, and we got through the
breakers to a spot on the bar, at which I had to jump out and walk the RIB over
the bar for a few meteres. The next lot of Kuna we met just at the gravel
beach inside the river mouth, were staring at us in stunned amazement. They
did not return any smiles, nor waves, and one was waving his arms indicating us
to leave the river. I turned and went over to them and explained "por favor,
senior - hablas mi con Congresso ayer, por permissio por passa del rio. Hablas
congesso "no problem"". Now this I'm sure is extremely broken and jumbled up
Spanish, which in any event was not their first language, however they
understood and several indicated - OK proceed, but not too far, they
seemed to be suggesting. However the first guy who was most animated in
objecting to us being in the river clearly was still not happy. So we turned
around and left in order to keep good relations.
We carried on back over to the village and as we
had a contact name of someone who spoke English and liked visitors in the
village, we thought we would go and visit him. We got the name from a pilot
book of the area which was now 14 years old. As we landed on the beach we asked
for Pablo and we were directed to the far end of the island eventually being led
to his family compound, where he was taking a little bit of time out from his
wifes' family compound across the path. We had some rice for the
family, books and dictionaries for the kids and so on and Trish bought a
small Mola from his family. Pablo took us into his family compound and showed us
round the huts and explained all about family life and Kuna customs and guess
what? - how the teenagers of today were just not like they used to
be! Their manners, attention to customs, general behaviour and desire
for modern things outside the customs of the Kuna were a problem. This also
included the breakdown of traditional families on rare occassions. As we were
talking out came his wife in full traditional Kuna dress - on the
mobile phone! After a while they asked if we knew anything about a small
12V DVD player they had acquired. It was clear that they just needed it charged
up, which we could do that on the boat, so we offered to do that and
bring it back later. Now it seems that both Pablo and his wife had been married
previously and although this is permitted in Kuna society it costs them a very
heavy fine which has to be paid to the congresso. I think this is a good
idea effectively using possitive tax status for a family unit. Also Pablo
had five grandchildren and twelve grandchildren, one of whom had just had a
little baby boy. She had become pregnant "when she met a boy from another island
and made love with him". He however ran away to Panama and left Pablo holding
the baby so to speak. The young guy was in big trouble and the Sahila, or
big chief was organising to try to find him and bring him back. Pablo also
had a grandson who was there and who was albino. Apparently this is because of
in-breeding in the past. The boy was very white skinned and had ginger hair. It
seems to me that it was albinos that people have mistakenly referred to, when
they said there were still occasionaly ginger haired, fair skinned children in
the area, as a legacy from the Scots settlement.
This family seemed to be a microcosm of all that
was going on in Kuna society and all of its strengths and all of the challenges
it faced. Pablo was quite worldly and spoke several languages and had in fact
been in England for several years during which he spent time in Scotland which
he much preferred he said........ We then went for a walk, all the wile Pablo
telling us about Kuna culture and showing us round the village. Then we reached
the Congresso and we were taken inside to have a meeting with the
chief Sahila. The hut was huge and very dark, with dirt floors, palm frond
thatched roof, and sides of lashed stakes allowing a good air flow through.
There was just about enough light to make out the central part, which had
three hammocks one of which the chief was lying in and four rough wooden
armchairs at each corner of the central square. There was hard
wooden benches for us mere mortals and all the other congresso
participants. It was obligatory to attend three days per week and
discretionary for the other days. I believe women can if they wish attend any
day, but on Saturday morning there is a Congresso for women only. Even if some
of our MP's could manage that attendance rate it would be an improvement for
them!
We were sat down on a small bench facing the Sahila
and we were asked to tell the Sahila and Congresso our story and how our
life was, while Pablo translated. We told a bit about ourselves and what we were
doing and that we had visited Puerta Escoses. He wanted to know some of the
history about the people who had gone there and why they had not
survived. I told about what I knew of this history and also the life back
in Scotland at the time and how much of the culture and way of life of the
Highlands and Islands was lost. He wished us well and said we were
"Kuna brothers" and hoped that God would take care of us on our
travels and that they would never forget us.
After this profound statement he also explained
that the Congresso were meeting the next day to discuss a fiesta for the
children going back to school, as they had been off for three months, and if
there was anything we could contribute they would be very grateful. I asked what
would be appropriate and he said it was up to us. We had to think very hard
about this and returned later with our contribution, which was some money, packs
of pencils and pens for the kids and two large bottles of diluting fruit juice
(unsweetened) for the fiesta or party. This seemed to be well received but the
congresso by then had other things on their mind as they had a Panamanian
official with them to discuss building a sea wall to weather, where the island
faced the risk of being swamped if there were large waves in bad weather. We
were also told by the Sahila not to take any photos, which I think for them is a
good idea if they are trying to maintain their traditional way of life. Older
people believe photos take away some of their spirit and they also seem to feel
you are stealing from them as you may sell these photos. Of children they dont
mind photos being taken.
I have thought more about gifts to the Kuna and my
view is that sweets and anything that nods to western life is not a good idea.
Gifts should be not made as "handouts" but in return for some kindness given,
like you might do while visiting another family at home for a dinner or a stay.
The children will learn to "beg" and as Pablo and I discussed Kuna do not
need to beg. They are self sufficient and do not need us arriving with "gifts"
to perhaps self satisfy ourselves. I think it is a better idea to
trade with the Kuna either for money or other goods. There is no question
that Kuna life is changing even in Mamatupu, which seems to be a very
traditional village. It is however for themselves to decide what rate of
change they want not for us in any way to interfere with that, by introducing
western ideas. The challenge for the Congressos of the Kuna therefor, as far as
I see, is not to rigidly maintain the old ways and keep all things modern out,
because it is clear this is failing, but to manage what rate of change
they allow and how they manage that change in a progressive way in keeping with
their traditions.
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