The Guna tribe and their strange hard-to-understand rules

Our world still hides exotic areas and in many of them it is possible to find societies quite different from ours. This is the case of the Guna tribe, also called the Cunas, a group that lives in Panama. Their lifestyle is very different from what we are used to and this ethnic group has the highest birth rate of albino children in the world. It is also in this tribe where the coconut is a bargaining chip and the husband assumes his wife’s surname upon marriage.

O awesome.club discovered these and other super interesting data about the guna. Check it out.

It is not very difficult to understand why the Guna ethnic group has inhabited the archipelago for so many centuries: the island is covered with palm trees, there is always fresh fruit and the water is practically crystal clear. The National Geographic magazine published some articles about these islands and the publications Cruising World and Le Monde Voyage classified the archipelago as one of the most beautiful for cruising.

Unlike other ethnic groups, the Guna managed to obtain complete autonomy from the government of their country, Panama. They declared their independence in 2010 and the government supported them. However, despite the good relationship with the authorities, people live according to their own rules and preserve the culture of their ancestors.

One of the peculiarities of this tribe is the female power in relation to men. During the day men perform various activities and women take control of society. They manage the products their way and if a man wants to buy or sell something, he is obliged to ask his wife for permission.

And this is not just a tradition, but a rule established by law. According to the ‘Charter of the Indigenous Communion Regime of San Blas’, ‘in marriage, the woman supports the man and he is obliged to work for the wife’s family’ (Article 37). The matriarchy is present in everything: men go naked until they are 9 years old and women wear a scarf from the first few months.

One of the legends talks about a woman who was the first to fight the conquerors alone during colonization. As? Very simple: she took off her clothes in front of the warriors and her beauty acted as a trap.

The Guna tribe has its festivals and traditions and the main ones are related to the birth of women, their growth and marriage. When the girl turns 13-14 years old, she is considered an adult, and the tribe begins to look for a groom for her. The search lasts four days.

The main criteria for choosing a husband is that he has a means of transport and a home of his own, as well as a good physical appearance. When the parents mention the name of the chosen one, the betrothed has three attempts to escape the bride. If friends and family fail to arrest him, the bride has the right to choose another betrothed.

During the wedding ritual, the betrothed is received at the bride’s house where he must undergo a kind of test that can last a few days. After this test, the marriage is considered confirmed and it is the groom, as already mentioned, who assumes the bride’s surname.

The guna not only prepare the woman for childbirth, but also the man. A few days before the expected event, the man stops working to dedicate himself entirely to his wife. At birth, the couple screams and the two behave as if they are in labor. The tribe believes that, in doing this, the man somehow helps to lessen some of his wife’s pain.

The first thing you see when you arrive on the islands of San Blas are the colorful dresses and traditional bracelets of different colors. The tribe believes they help protect against bad moods. In addition, women wear a kind of tattoo that goes from the top of the head to the tip of the nose as a protection against evil spirits.

The economy of Guna Yala (autonomous region of the Guna tribe) is based on agriculture, fishing and trade. San Blas is Panama’s main coconut supplier. Since the last century, fruit has been the region’s most important product, which is why locals use it as currency to buy other necessary products.

The guna offer great freedom to their children and, when they realize that a child identifies with the opposite sex, they do not try to ‘re-educate’ them. The matriarchy makes this possible from birth. People with this option are called ‘omeggid’, which translates as ‘like a woman’. When a transsexual grows up, she fully assumes female responsibilities.

Albinism is a disorder characterized by the absence of pigmentation in the hair, skin and eyes. The skin of an albino person is very sensitive to the sun and even minimal exposure to the sun’s rays can endanger their health.

It is almost an irony that the majority of albinos on our Planet live in Guna Yala, a region close to the equator and where the sun shines all year round. The population is 80 thousand people and hundreds of them are albinos. That’s why the tribe was called ‘White Indians’ in 1900.

In countries like Tanzania, albino people are frowned upon and some are murdered. The guna treat everyone with love and respect. However, there are still some problems: albino children cannot spend a lot of time in the sun, they have to drive to school and they don’t play much outside with their peers. People with these characteristics go out into the street at night and are therefore called ‘children of the moon’.

Today, the tribe faces a great difficulty: moving from a tribal model to a more capitalist model. In the 1950s, foreigners were not allowed to enter. Today, tourists and even Panamanians are welcomed, as tourism is an important part of the local economy. The government convinced the tribe to open the island to visitors to facilitate the development of crafts.

Did you feel like getting to know the region?