DISPATCHES
Usdup village elder, Feliciano Jones, gathers coconuts from his finca (above).
A man heads to his plot of land by way of the traditional Kuna mode of transportation—the dugout canoe (below). There are no cars on the island.
but the nature of this help
hasn’t been defined, nor
has its cost.
In what may be an indication, last year, the small
coastal village of Newtok
in Alaska voted to move 350
people inland due to large
waves and floods caused
by climate change. The U. S.
Army Corps of Engineers
has estimated the move
would cost more than $130
million. In the case of Kuna
Yala, a similar effort would
need to assist 10 times as
many people, and factor
in not only the cost of rebuilding homes, schools
and clinics, but also road,
electrical and water systems infrastructure.
Representation
Without Recourse
Whatever happens, the
Kuna people are sure to
have a say in their future.
Kuna Yala has a form of self-
governance that is unique
among indigenous com-
munities in Panama. The
comarca of Kuna Yala was
established in 1938, after
more than a decade of ne-
gotiations with Panama’s
central government. The
negotiations were sparked
by a violent rebellion in
February 1925, when Us-
dup native, Nele Kantule,
and dozens of his fellow
community members trav-
eled by cayuco to the Kuna
islands of Tupile and Uku-
pseni and attacked the abu-
sive Panamanian police
stationed there to subju-
gate the Kuna. The confron-
tation left 27 people dead
and drove the state police
from the area.
Their hard-won new sta-
tus allowed the Kuna peo-
ple full voting rights in
Panama along with terri-
torial autonomy and final
say over their resources and
development. To this day,
the Kuna have prevented
foreigners from investing
in resorts and tourism ven-
tures on their islands; and
all development or infra-
structure projects must
get consent from the Kuna
leadership.
The Kuna General Congress, their highest government body, is represented
