School

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Most of the villages have elementary schools for the childre. Teachers from Panamà are required to instruct for two years on the Islands before they are able to teach in Panamà City.
The children are divided into groups to either attend school in the morning or the afternoon. Very few villages have Junior High Schools, son if a parent wants their child have further education, then they must boat them to the nearest island wint a Junior High. No villages offer High School. It the familiy wants to send their child to High School, then the youth must move to Panamà

Houses

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The Kuna reside in bamboo huts. The men go to the jungle to gather various sizes of banana leaves and bamboo sticks to build the shelter. Them tightly together with twine. The roofs are very sturdy and usually last up to twenty years before they need to be replaced. There are small slits between the bamboo in order for the light to shine through during the day. Because most islands do not have electricity, they burn gas lamps at night. Even though the streets are dirt, the women get up early in the morning when the sun is barely shining to sweep trash off the paths.

Kuna Wear

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Kuna Wear

The Kuna women still wear the traditional dress of their ancestors. This includes brightly colored scarves, gold jewelrym and mola dresses. Most of the older women have nose rings made of gold. Their noses are pierced as young childre, and a small piece of wood is inserted in the hole. When the wood gets wet it expands; this process continues until the hole is big enough for the ring to be inserted. The women stitch molas on the front and back of their shirts for added color and personalization. They also wear beads around their arms and legs that have intricate designs woven throughout. For rouge, the women paint their faces with mashed achiote seeds. They also paint a black line dows their nose for added beauty.

The kuna men, on the other hand, wear much les traditional clothing. Their way of dressing resembles that of American men. The chiefs of the islands usually wear dress pants and button down dress shirts. Many of them also wear ties and hats; this way of dressing distinguishes them from the other citizens.

Nana e Ismael leyendo la Biblia.

Porque yo Jehovà soy tu Dios, quien te sostiene de tu mano derecha,
y te dice: No temas, yo te ayudo.
Isaìas 41,13

Molas

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Molas were developed when the Kuna woman were able to acquire store-bought yard goods in the mid 18000s when they met European traders. This offered them the opportunity
to express themselves through complex desighs. They are carefully hand stitched; however, some of the women are now using sewing machines. They sew these on these on their dresses as part of their custom wear. They also stitch molas onto pillows, t-shirts, billfolds, purses, ties, and many other things to sell to tourists on the islands and in Panamà. The Kuna live on about twenty dollars a month, so the women sell these molas for extra money.

Chi Chi Parties

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The kuna tribes celebrate special occasions by having Chi chi Parties that usually last about three days. The women of the community prepare for the celebration by brewing beer from bananas. They strongly encourage everyone in the community to participate; if one chooses not to, then they are heavily fined.

Culture

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These Indians Have a strong knit tribal society. They remain close to their families, and when a woman gets married the man moves in with her familiy.
The grandmother is the head of the household thus displaying a matriarchal society. Daughters are valued in the Kuna family because they will eventually bring added manpower to the familiy. Through out the centuries, the Kuna have hept their indigenous way of life, although some outside influence has slowly filtered its way through.

The " Golden Children" and Religion

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Many of the elder Kuna believed that they were God's chosen people and because of that they would automatically go to heaven. The late Kuna worshiped a sun god. They would roll themselves in gold dust, and when they stood in the sun, their bodies glowed. This was where the name "Golden Children" was derived. Most of the younger generations, however, do not hold this belief.













The Kuna believe in a God that created the world, but is now far away. They think that groups of evil spirits roam the earth and are able to enter people bodies causing sickness and diseases. Witch doctors are prevalent throughout the communities. When a person is sick, the witch doctor chants and gives the patient homemade medicine. If the person dies, then the community may have a smoke out. They build a large fire to smoke the evil spirits away from the island. When this practice is being performed, no Americans or anyone other than Kuna are allowed on the island. They believe outsiders may carry more evil spirits in.

The Kuna chief is regarded much like an Old Testamaent prophet that speaks for God. He tells people what they must do in order to please the LORD, so he will not send horrible things against them. Many Kuna still have not heard the clear message of Jesus Christ.