Indigenous peoples of Panama

Indigenous peoples of Panama, or Native Panamanians, are the native peoples of Panama. According to the 2010 census, they make up 12.3% of the overall population of 3.4 million, or just over 418,000 people. The Guaymí and Ngöbe-Buglé comprise half of the indigenous peoples of Panama.[1]

Embera girl, Darién Province, 2006

A Guna woman in Guna Yala

Guna house in Guna Yala, 2007

Many of the Indigenous Peoples live on comarca indígenas,[2] which are administrative regions for areas with substantial Indigenous populations. Three comarcas (Comarca Emberá-Wounaan, Guna 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
• Guna, Darién Province and Caribbean side.
• Ngöbe-Buglé, mainly Chiriquí Province
• Talamanca
• Teribe[1]
• 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
• Guna Language: 61,707 speakers
• Naso-Teribe language: 3,305 speakers
• Ngöbe language: 169,130 speakers
• Wounaan language: 6,882 speakers[2]

Notes

1. "Panama History: Indigenous People." Panama Experts. (retrieved 23 Feb 2011)
2. "Indigenous Peoples in Panama." Archived 2011-03-02 at the Wayback Machine International Work Group for Indian Affairs. (retrieved 23 Feb 2011)

External links

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