Lifeways/Cultures

The Wounaan and Embera People and Their Baskets

Designs fall into two basic categories: "cultural" and "pictorial." Any geometric design is called cultural, as the Wounaan paint their bodies with various geometric patterns for important ceremonies and cultural activities. Many of the geometric patterns descend from pre-Colombian pottery and rock-art designs.
Poison Dart Frog	Poison Dart Frog Basket
The pictorial baskets incorporate rainforest flora and fauna in endless variety. Stylized parrots, toucans, hummingbirds, bats, butterflies, spiders, ants, jaguars, sloths, monkeys, iguanas, exotic flowers, and trees are woven into each basket one stitch at a time. Frequently, a weaver will exhibit her creativity and skill by incorporating a favorite animal, which becomes her "trademark" specialty.
Coastal artisans proclaim their Pacific proximity by fashioning fish, coral, sea horses, turtles, orca, dolphins, and marlin from chunga palm fibers colored with vegetal dyes.

Not only are these baskets becoming increasingly collectible, but they also provide vital cash income for purchasing food not grown or gathered locally. Medicine and educational materials must also be imported at great expense.

The income also helps the Wounaan to be more proactive in the preservation and conservation of their irreplaceable rainforest and preventing it from being turned into wood pulp. Much of the once seemingly impenetrable northern Darien has already been turned into vast pasture. Indiscriminately and savagely logged, the decimated ecosystem is open to roads, followed by slash-and-burn farming. Within as few as two or three years, the depleted fields - supporting little else than grass - is reduced from the richest rainforest in the world, to ranch land for grazing cattle.

When pasture lands replace the rainforest, the pure, clear, mountain spring water villages enjoyed becomes contaminated with bacteria from animal feces. The Wounaan Indians are raising money to buy up the lands around their precious water sources.

But the threats to their culture don't end there.

The Panamanian government is again contemplating construction of the 150km break in the otherwise unbroken 30,600km highway from Alaska to Chile. If this link between continents - known as the Darién Gap - were connected, a thoroughfare would pass through the heart of the Darién to Colombia and devastate this fragile ecosystem. Life as people of the Darién lived it - virtually unchanged for hundreds of years - would be no more.

Your purchase of these prized, highly collectible art creations is an important hedge against increasing Colombian guerilla and drug trade incursions into Wounaan territory.