KUNA YALA
THE SAN BLAS ISLANDS

Each island is an individual village. Many of the islands are visited by tourists but each island has its own laws and rules about attracting tourists.

The Kunas live in thatched huts. Nightly meetings are held in a large congresso hut to vote, to settle problems and to listen to the oral history, myths and legends of their culture.

One of the main celebrations is the coming of age of the young girls. This is the INNA celebration. Preparations are made weeks in advance and the whole island is invited.

A matriarchal society, the wealth is handed down through the women. When a couple marries, the man moves in with the woman's family.

The women often paint a thin line down the center of their noses.

MOLAS are made by the KUNA Indian women. The KUNAS are one of the indigenous groups of Panama. They call their land KUNA YALA. It is a narrow strip of land on the Northern coast of Panama along the Caribbean Sea. It includes approximately 360 SAN BLAS ISLANDS. About 55 of these are occupied. The other islands are used to grow coconuts. They also farm on the mainland and they are fishermen, selling lobster, crab and other seafood in the cities.

Pattern to make your own mola.

The women are known for their MOLAS. These are panels of very intricate appliqué that are sewn into blouses. Collectors and tourists come to the islands by small planes and cruise ships seeking them. Along with the mola blouses, the women wear deep blue printed wrap-around skirts and red and yellow printed head scarfs. Their arms and legs are covered with tightly bound beads sometimes strung into intricate patterns Photo - Lisa and Amelia

Quilts made from Kuna Molas

For a bibliography of books on Kunas and molas, see my section on mola books for sale.