Indigenous groups make up 5.3% of the total population of the republic. The most important Indian tribes on the isthmus are: The Kunas who are found on the islands of San Blas, and also in the jungle of Chucunaque and Bayano; the Ngobe Buglé (also known as Guaymíe) who live mainly in the mountainous areas of Bocas del Toro, Veraguas, and Chiriqui; the Emberá and Wounan (tribes of the Chocoes group) who live in the Darién jungle and the Teribe and Cricamola in the province of Bocas del Toro.
Emberá Drúa
At first sight, the culture of this Native American group, which migrated to Panama from South America around the same time that Spanish conquistadors first set foot on the Isthmus, might seem rather primitive to the average visitor. Whereas men and boys wear loin cloths, the daily attire of women and girls consists of a lively-colored skirt, body paint on their nude torso, a necklace made with coins and a crown of flowers. [ more ]The Kunas
Nobody knows for sure when they arrived in Panama from South America, but by the 16th century, they had already occupied the 360 islands known today as the San Blas archipelago, pushed towards the Caribbean coast by enemy Native American tribes and the Spanish conquistadors. [ more ]The Ngöbe Buglé
Formerly know as the Guaymie, the Ngöbe Buglé inhabit the highlands of Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí and the arid plains of Veraguas. Women wear gowns of bright colors sewn in geometric shapes while mens dress is basically modern. However, during their ceremonies of balseria, where the strongest triumph, they will dress themselves with exotic bird feathers and paint their faces with geometric shapes, usually black, white and red. [ more ]