The Ngobe
Tropical farmers
Ngäbe – Ngobe or Ngöbe, previously known as Guaymí, means "people" in Ngäbere language.
The Ngäbe inhabit the region Ngäbe-Bugle in the Western Panama provinces of Veraguas, Chiriquí and Bocas del
Toro. Their land is around 6,000 square kilometers. Most Ngäbe live below the poverty level, and many choose to live isolated from the rest of the world. Many communities can be found in Costa Rica as well. They are divided into two large groups: those of the coastal lands on the Atlantic Ocean and those of the tropical forests of Veraguas and Chiriqui. They are the most numerous indigenous group in Panama.
The Ngäbe inhabit the region Ngäbe-Bugle in the Western Panama provinces of Veraguas, Chiriquí and Bocas del
Toro. Their land is around 6,000 square kilometers. Most Ngäbe live below the poverty level, and many choose to live isolated from the rest of the world. Many communities can be found in Costa Rica as well. They are divided into two large groups: those of the coastal lands on the Atlantic Ocean and those of the tropical forests of Veraguas and Chiriqui. They are the most numerous indigenous group in Panama.
Snapshot
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Region is South America
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Climate here is Tropical
Life
The Ngäbe have a self-sufficient economy based on sharing. Depending on the region and the environmental conditions, they usually harvest maize, millet, bananas, plantains, beans, rice, sweet manioc, taro, sweet potatoes, squashes, sugarcane, coffee as well as tree fruits. They cultivate tobacco, century plant (for its fibres), and gourds and calabashes (to use as containers). They raise cattle, chickens, or pigs and, to a lesser extent, they hunt and fish.
Home
They live in small hamlets called "caseríos", consisting of two to eight houses occupied by one family unit. Today, larger hamlets are more common.
Traditional homes were round with a conical thatched roof, but nowadays houses are rectangular with hip roofs and corrugated metal.
Traditional homes were round with a conical thatched roof, but nowadays houses are rectangular with hip roofs and corrugated metal.
Culture
Social Structure
There are no social or economic classes, but men take care of political and religious affairs. Elders are highly respected. Usually, kin groups cooperate and work together. Sharing food is essential, and men who can provide for their kin group or sponsor rituals, gain prestige.
Religion
Despite strong Christian influence (mainly Catholic), many have kept traditional religious beliefs. In 1961, the Mama Chi (Little Mother/Mama Tada) nativistic religious movement is born after a young Ngowbe woman have a visionary experience of the Virgin Mary. She encouraged the isolation of the community from the outside world, along with other strict guidelines.
Traditions
During rituals, traditional songs and dances are accompanied by flutes, rattles, conch shells, and these are not sung in Ngawbére, but Murire dialect.
Face painting can occur during rituals, featuring geometric designs in black, red and white. Traditional Ngäbe paints their faces whenever they are happy.
Women traditional colourful dress is called "naguas", and it is full-length with short-sleeves. The geometric patterns that adorn it are called dientes, or "teeth", and represent mountains, animal teeth, rivers, or dragon scales.
Face painting can occur during rituals, featuring geometric designs in black, red and white. Traditional Ngäbe paints their faces whenever they are happy.
Women traditional colourful dress is called "naguas", and it is full-length with short-sleeves. The geometric patterns that adorn it are called dientes, or "teeth", and represent mountains, animal teeth, rivers, or dragon scales.
Language
They speak Ngäbére language.
Art
The Ngäbe women create, woven bags of vegetable fibre called "kra "(called "chácara" in Spanish). They also make bracelets and necklaces while men knit plant fibres hats, internationally known as Panama hats, fully integrated into the country's traditional folklore.
Celebrations
The major Ngäbe celebration is called krun in Ngawbére, "balser 'ía" in Spanish, and the grand event usually attracts thousands of people. The ritual lasts for four days, and it is the celebration of the Ngabe traditional stick-fighting festival. One community challenges another to the participants, and the festival starts with three days of storytelling and cacao drinking. On the last day, they dance balsa and drink "chicha fuerte", a fermented corn drink.
Further knowledge
The Ngäbé-Buglé region has one of the largest deposits of copper in the world.
The communities are facing many challenges due to mining development and severe problems for the defence of their land's natural resources.
The community often practice trash burning. Please be conscious of the amount of waste you are producing since it could contribute to the local marine and plastic land pollution!
The communities are facing many challenges due to mining development and severe problems for the defence of their land's natural resources.
The community often practice trash burning. Please be conscious of the amount of waste you are producing since it could contribute to the local marine and plastic land pollution!