The Guna/Kuna people, living in the autonomous region of islands known as Guna Yala/San Balas (Panama), strive to preserve their traditional matrilineal culture and pristine environment, while drinking prodigious amounts of hot chocolate. Climate change may soon change that.
Tropical Islands and Traditional Culture in Guna Yala - Enjoy this 3-minute video from Indian Country Today Media Network.
Kuna Yala - The daily life, people, and beauty of these islands comes to life in this 4-minute video.
Molas from the San Blas Islands: Kuna Indian Textile Art - This 5-minute video showcases the outstanding artistry of these elaborate embroidered panels. Mola, which originally meant bird plumage, is the Kuna word for clothing, specifically blouse, and the word mola has come to mean the elaborate embroidered panels that make up the front and back of a Kuna woman's traditional blouse. Learn more about molas here.
Indigenous Chocolatiers: The Kuna People - The Kuna people have long been sipping on several different variations of a cacao based beverage, which they call Siagwa.
Making Kuna Indian Hot Chocolate - One recipe for making the version of Siagwa with bananas (or plantain).
Between the Forest and the Sea: Life and Climate Change in Guna Yala - The life and customs in Guna Yala are based in a sustainable lifestyle, but that way of life is now facing an uncertain future because of climate change.