San Blas Islands

Does tourism destroy indigenous cultures?

The San Blas Islands are about 60 miles east of the Panama Canal. There are more than 400 islands and a mainland; stretching about 110 miles from the Colombian border to the Gulf of San Blas. We were visiting the Kuna (Cuna in the guidebook spelling) Indians, the only indigenous Indian groups left in the islands.

Kathy and I are both mixed about the impacts — positive and negative — that tourism has on the relatively few remaining "local" cultures in the world. So it was with the Kuna today. We spend a couple of hours among these Indians on Carti Sugtupu island (part of the San Blas chain off of Panama). We got to:

— "See them in their native environment" (sounds a bit like a zoo, no?)

— "Understand some of the aspects of their unique culture" ("this is a learning experience for rich people")

— "Contribute to increasing their quality of life". ("buy stuff")

Here's the picture: huge cruise ship parks out in the ocean somewhere, and tenders (in boats about two times as long and 8-10 times the width as the Kuna's dugout canoes) forty or fifty very white, obese Americans (and Canadians) to the island. This happens about 10 times/year.

As the Tourists land on shore, they'd instantly bombarded with islanders with a variety of trinkets — small, crude wooden boats, some replicas of our cruise ship. Islanders line the pier. One dollah! Two dollah! Elsewhere signs offer boat tours for $10, a "museum" of some sort (likewise $10). To put this in perspective, average per-capita income for 3rd world people is about $200/year. Ten dollars for a half hour tour? Not much for rich tourists we guess — but what does it do to the culture?

The island consists of two or three small, dirt roads with a couple of informal cross-"streets" between them. No cars; didn't even see bicycles (the island is that small).  Most of the buildings are thatched and/or tin. There are a few concrete structures. A church/mission, a school; a central market. For cruise ship days (hard to tell what the rest of the are like), the island is effectively converted into one big shopping mall. Kids sell pictures they colored with crayons, or sell the right for the tourists to photograph them with their pet lizards (tied to perches) or tropical birds (clipped wings).

This reminds us both of some of the "hill tribe" people we've visited in Thailand and Vietnam. The difference here is there doesn't seem to be anything besides tourism that sustains the village. Should this culture cease to be "competitive" with other tourist sites — how do these people, accustomed to new wealth (perhaps at the cost of their own culture) re-adapt to old ways. Can they? Should they? This is what we admire so much about Heifer, the build up villages in a proven, sustained

Kathy thinks "Make hay while the sun shines". The people can afford for the kids to drink Cokes (maybe not to visit a Dentist, tho'). Their "dirt poor" existence has been upgraded. Their pockets are flush with US dollars. It's a good thing? I'm not entirely convinced.

Selected photos (click on any image for full-sized version)

These hand-sewn pieces are called "moas" Very few men are found in the business of selling This couple were wringing juice out of sugar cane - he feeds the cane between the sticks, she jumps up and down at the end. Pretty clever. And they hit tourists up for $1 per picture. More market ladies This "friendly native" offered a tour of his home — ultimately demanding payment for his services. Note the ship in the background A seller peers down at Kathy as she looks at the woman's wares Foam Plus' agent continues to circle the planet.