Mythologies of the Ngäbe-Buglé Tribe

In the mountains of western Panamá, across 2,500 square miles (6,475 kilometers), live the largest indigenous comarca (or region) in Panamá—the Ngäbe-Buglé tribe. The comarca was formed in 1997 to provide these indigenous people autonomy of land previously belonging to the Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí, and Veraguas provinces. Experience the vibrant culture of Panamá firsthand by meeting our indigenous people and seeing their way of life up close. The Ngäbe-Buglé people play a vital role in Panamá’s culture—from coffee production and farming to artisan goods and the safekeeping of ancient spiritual rituals and nature. Join one of the many tours offered by the community and see the native culture and traditions of the Ngäbe-Buglé people. Spirituality is sacred to the Ngäbe way of life, which you can experience when visiting a waterfall in the Ngäbe-Buglé lands. The Ngäbe see waterfalls as holding the link between them and their ancestors. The Kiki is one of the most breathtaking waterfalls in Panamá and is just one of the many waterfalls in the comarca. It has a free fall of approximately 113 meters (371 feet), making it the tallest free fall waterfall. Plus, you can walk behind it for a unique experience as you follow a local Ngäbe guide while on a waterfall tour. One of the waterfall rituals is called the Grö and serves as a rite of passage for the Ngäbe boys. In four days and four nights, the Ngäbe boys must embark on a journey that tests their survival abilities and results in spiritual enlightenment. While partaking in the ritual, they encounter a waterfall spirit called the Bube, one of the many spirits passed down from generation to generation. Just like waterfalls, cacao plays a vital role in their spirituality. Cacao is often used during tribal celebrations and ceremonies and in medicines. The cacao seed is an important part of Ngäbe culture, as they know its benefits are essential for health and self-love. Visitors can join a cacao ritual, known as the ajuito, in the community of Soloy. The ritual occurs when Ngäbe elders accompany a sick person, sharing stories, wisdom, traditions and giving support. The Ngäbe people within the Bocas del Toro section of the comarca, produce super high quality organic cacao that is exported to Europe and Southern Africa. A local Ngäbe guide will take you on a hike or horseback riding, through the jungle and cacao trees teaching you everything from growing organic cacao to making it into pure chocolate. Chocolate is not the only tasty treat you can find in this community. Since its early days, Panamá’s coffee industry has depended on the skilled hands of the Ngäbe-Buglé, who for decades have worked in our coffee farms predominantly in the highlands of Chiriquí. From them, Panamá has learned efficient harvesting techniques that ensure the correct selection of the mature cherry. This truly makes a difference in that unique taste of Panamanian coffee.

The Ngäbe are an indigenous people within the territories of present-day Panama and Costa Rica in Central America. The Ngäbe mostly live within the Ngäbe-Buglé comarca in the Western Panamanian provinces of Veraguas, Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro. They also have five indigenous territories in southwestern Costa Rica, encompassing 23,600 hectares: Coto Brus, Abrojos Montezuma, Conte Burica, Altos de San Antonio and Guaymi de Osa. In the early 21st century, there are approximately 200,000-250,000 speakers of the Ngäbere language. Guaymí is an outdated name, derived by the Spanish colonists from the Buglere term for this people (guaymiri). Local newspapers and other media often alternatively spell the name Ngäbe as Ngobe or Ngöbe because Spanish does not contain the sound represented by ä, a low-back rounded a, slightly higher than the English aw in the word saw. Spanish speakers hear ä as either an o or an a. Ngäbe means "people" in their native language of Ngäbere. Numerous Ngäbe have migrated to Costa Rica in search of work on the coffee fincas. Ngäbere and Buglere are distinct languages in the Chibchan language family. Ngäbe territory originally extended from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea, though there was never an empire or a distinctive “Ngäbe territory”. Most Ngäbe lived in dispersed villages, which were run by chiefs and influential families. Few, if any, Ngäbe occupied the mountainous region in which they now live. They retreated to that area under pressure from Spanish colonists and development of low-lying areas.

Now reduced to about 26,000, the Buglé live in the most remote areas of Veraguas and are among the most impoverished of all Panama’s population. About 260,000 Ngäbe now make up Panama’s largest indigenous tribe, living in the Western provinces of Chiriquí, Veraguas, and Bocas del Toro. In March of 1997, following a 100 year struggle by the two groups to have the Panamanian government recognize their territory, the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé was established and a regional constitution granted. The Ngäbe and Buglé are two separate ethnology-linguistic groups located in the central highlands of the Western provinces of Panama, speaking Ngäbere and Buglere respectively of the Chibchan language family. With erosion-prone farm land, harsh climactic and soil conditions, families struggle to a sustain themselves. The fine arts they craft are closely related to their daily life: knitted bags, chácaras, and hats made from native fibers, along with necklaces woven with seeds and natural threads. Located along the continental divide these two groups have struggled for their survival since the Spanish arrival in the 1500s. Just as Panama’s five other indigenous tribes in Eastern Panama were forced from fertile lands, the Ngäbe and Buglé were forced to retreat, and for these two groups it was to the isolated central highlands. Once more numerous than the Ngäbe, the Buglé fought the Spaniards fiercely and the population was decimated.

The Ngöbe-Buglé people, the largest Indigenous group in Panama, inhabit the mountainous regions of western Panama. Their ancestral lands, known as the Comarca Ngöbe-Buglé, encompass vast tracts of forests, rivers, and valleys. The Ngöbe-Buglé are renowned for their intricate basket weaving, their traditional dress with vibrant patterns, and their deep connection to nature. Their language, Ngöbe-Buglé, is a rich and expressive tongue that reflects their unique cultural identity. They believe in the interconnectedness of all living things, respecting the natural world and its spiritual significance. The Ngöbe-Buglé community places great importance on family and community, upholding their cultural heritage through generations.

The Ngöbe Buglé Indians (formerly known as Guaymi) live at Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui and dry plains of Veraguas. They have dark skin, thick lips, wide backs and flat noses. Women wear gowns of bright colors and geometric shapes. However, during their ceremonies the men they will dress themselves with exotic bird feathers and paint their faces with geometric shapes, usually black, white and red. The Ngöbe Buglé live in huts near rivers or at valleys. The Ngöbe Buglé fish, hunt, raise dogs, cattle, chickens and pigs. The 2000 Panamanian census cites 110,080 Ngöbe Buglé Indians in Panama, forming 63.6% of the national Indian population. The Comarca Ngöbe Buglé was created on March 7, 1997. Ngobe indians are the largest indigenous group in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago. They live in several communities in the islands of Colon, Bastimentos, Solarte, Cristobal, Popa and Water Cay. The other indigenous indians with a project in the Bocas del Toro Province, are the nasos or teribes, a small group that live in the mountains and jungle that separate Bocas del Toro from Chiriqui Province, in the La Amistad International Park. There are several ecotourism projects, built with international funds, to help the indigenous groups. They retain many of their aboriginal customs and practices. The Ngobe-Bugle's chaquira (They are lovely necklaces constructed with colorful beads.) was first mentioned by European historians the 17th Century. The original necklaces were dull and made of pebbles, pieces of bone, seeds, and sea shells which the Indians colored with homemade dyes. The brightly colored beads and designs of the modern chaquiras have come about because the indians can now buy beads of a shape, size, or colour to suit. The easiest access to Ngobe indians is in the town on Tole, close to the Pan-American Highway. There you can find chaquira woven with strings of colourful beads. The "Nahua", the native dress of the Ngobe women, can also be seen there. The Bokotas, are an Amerindian ethnic group living in Bocas del Toro and north of Veraguas. They still use weapons like bows and arrows and spears or fish nets. Men wear shirts of manta-sucia, women have the same dresses as the Ngobe. They wear necklaces, facial paint of black and red, and shiny hair combs. Their houses are round and built on stilts. Bokotas have mixed with the Ngobe Bugles, but there are still "pure" families. There are many traditional ceremonies. There is a population in Panama of 3,784 Bokota Indians.

The Ngobe-Bugle, one of the largest indigenous groups in Panama, inhabit the mountainous regions of the country’s western border. Their name, “Ngobe-Bugle,” literally translates to “people of the mountains,” reflecting their deep connection to the land they call home. The Ngobe-Bugle are renowned for their intricate basket weaving, the art of creating stunning and intricate baskets from natural materials. These baskets are not only beautiful but also functional, used for everything from food storage to carrying goods. The Ngobe-Bugle’s deep respect for nature is evident in their traditional practices, which often involve incorporating plants and animals into their daily lives and ceremonies. Their resilience in protecting their ancestral lands and traditions is a testament to their strong cultural identity.

The Ngäbe-Buglé are indigenous peoples that reside in Western Panama, primarily in the Veraguas, Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro provinces. Today, the Ngäbe-Buglé indigenous territory is in mourning. A rotten stench rises from the depths of what was the ancestral Tabasará River, caused by the methane gas created by the plants and trees that were left underwater after the river was dammed in order to create clean energy through the Barro Blanco hydroelectric project. Barro Blanco has affected more than 170,000 Ngäbe-Buglé indigenous people who could lose their land and their way of life Also submerged below the water are the petroglyphs from which the sacred writings of this people come. “When the water began to rise, the first level was up to where a petroglyph is located, at height 87; they flooded our sacred writings. The water level continued to go up, and now seven communities have been affected by the project and most of the petroglyphs are underwater” shared Hacket Bagamá, a youth of no more than 15 years who lives in Kiad, one of the communities worst-affected by the hydroelectric complex.

“In the 90s [the Ngäbe-Buglé] mobilized to denounce that the Costa Rican State treated them as foreigners and refused to be submitted to a naturalization procedure they considered unworthy, even offensive.” Jairo Correa, an intercultural public health specialist working for the Ministry of Health in Panama, echoes this; he mentions that the majority of those who enter into Costa Rica, come through open borders, not formal border entrances. The homeland of Ngäbe-Buglé is considered transfronterizo, translated to existing trans-borders. However, to fit into the political and economic context of today’s society, the population is considered migratory. Vindas Monge explains, “I think this is a big issue, I think that the countries should come together and collaborate so that [the Ngäbe-Buglé] get rights, as they are indigenous separated by a border. There are some [from Panama] that have children here [in Costa Rica], there is an exchange.” In the 1990s, the government of Panama established the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé, an autonomous territory for indigenous residents. The majority of the population now lives within its boundaries. Because of the geography and isolation, building roads and infrastructure, as well as providing crucial services, has been expensive for the government—and it has left the population separated and vulnerable. Jairo Correa explains, “Malnutrition and parasitic disease are common among the population [in the Comarca] in part due to limited access to potable water and sanitization services.” Studies conducted by the IOM conclude that 95 percent of the Ngäbe-Buglé in Panama live under the poverty line and 83 percent in extreme poverty.

Ngobe Bugle is one of Panama's most popular tribes. It is most famous for its unique arts and crafts. They take the fibre of pita and cabuya plants and make then into Chacara bags. The designs of these bags demonstrate traditional legends, the colours of the local animals and the lands of Camarca. The bags are easy, over-the-shoulder, sling bags and they come in all different sizes and are used to carry anything. They also create one-piece, ankle length dresses that are embroidered at the neck and the hems. These dresses are called Nagua and are in natural shades of colour. It is the traditional clothing worn by woman and young girls. Chaquira is a necklace that is made using beads, shells and bones - made by the Ngobe Bugle native group. It was many attractive, bright colours and geometric designs. Bark Fibre Painting This was created by the Indigenous women of the Ngobe Bugle Tribe in Panama. They are created in natural pigments/colours, the colours are created from the bark fibre of the balsa wood tree. They give you a glimpse of the most profound beliefs and traditions of the Ngobe Bugle Tribe.

Panama is a land of beautiful landscapes and beautiful people, a land of rich culture and ancestral wisdom. Panama is home to 7 different indigenous groups, among which we find the Ngäbe-Buglé Indigenous People of Panama. Like other Panama Indigenous groups, the Ngäbe-Buglé (which is supposed to be the correct spelling form and closest to their linguistics rather than Ngöbe-Buglé as appears in some texts) survived over the centuries escaping the Spanish Conquest by retrieving into isolated areas within the Central Mountain Chain, or Cordillera Central, found in the North part of the country towards the Caribbean coast, where their ancestral lands had always been. Today Panama’s Ngäbe-Buglé people, which are the most numerous indigenous group in the country, are making their way back to mainstream society to some extent. If you travel to Panama you could almost be sure you’ll see some Ngäbe and Buglé women wearing their colorful dresses, called naguas, and selling some of their crafts, like their well-known beaded necklaces and jewelry, called chaquiras, and hand-made bags or chacarás. And so, after centuries of struggle, the Ngäbe-Buglé people face an even greater challenge today: finding a way to live in modern society without losing their unique culture. Sustainable tourism could be the answer they’ve been waiting for. The Ngäbe-Buglé People of Panama are not only the most ancient indigenous group of the Isthmus, but they were also the most fearless indigenous group the Spanish conquerors came across! The Ngäbe-Buglé people were some of the few groups who stood to the Conquest and defied the Spanish. One of their leaders, Cacique Urracá, became a true legend among the natives and a complete nightmare for the Spanish, defeating them successfully for 9 years! Urracá’s fight became so important that the face of this legendary Indian rebel is still found nowadays featured on the smallest denomination centesimo coin in Panama. Nonetheless, as history shows, the Spanish won against the people of the New World and the Ngäbe-Buglé tribes, just like other tribes, were made to make their way out of their land into the mountains where they were able to safeguard and protect their pre-Columbian traditions and ways of life from the Spanish and later from the world as Panama joined modernity.