Panamá has a diverse and culturally rich Indigenous population which accounts for approximately 8 percent of the total population. Although threatened by environmental degradation of their lands and incursions by outside groups, the tribal people of Panamá have managed to preserve much of their culture and traditions. They are engaged in a ongoing struggle to have their homelands legally recognized and the boundaries respected. Crafts for sale to outsiders have developed from the traditional material culture and now help maintain tribal identity as well as provide a supplemental means of support when people can no longer depend completely on a traditional lifestyle.The sale of baskets, molas, tagua nut carvings and other crafts not only helps keep traditional culture alive, but also provides the artists with income for food, medicine, school supplies and other necessities.
The indigenous artisans of Panamá make and sell beautiful baskets, tagua nut carvings and molas.
In addition, the provinces of Coclé, Herrera and Los Santos contribute other great expressions of folkloric, art and crafts.
Another artisan center by excellence is the Valle de Anton (Anton Valley) in the province of Coclé.
Azuero Peninsula
Central Panama - El Valle
The Emberá Indians
The Wounaan Indians
The Kuna Indians
The Ngobe-Bugle

Azuero Peninsula
The provinces of Coclé, Herrera and Los Santos contribute other great expressions of folkloric, art and crafts. traditions of the country, which can above all be found back in the music, dance and handicrafts such as hats, ceramics, wood carvings, leather goods, baskets, vegetable fiber goods and the Panamanian National Dress the Pollera, which is handmade; mainly in the province of Los Santos.The Pollera with all its jewelry and ornaments makes a magnificent mixture that emphasizes the beauty of the Panamanian women.

Central Panama - El Valle
Another artisan center by excellence is the Valle de Anton (Anton Valley) in the province of Coclé, which is located only one and a half-hours from Panama City, with a handicrafts market where on Sundays all the craftmakers of the area gather to offer their pieces for reasonable prices to domestic and foreign tourists alike in a picturesque environment of merriment and amiability.

The Wounaan and Emberá tribes inhabit the verdant Darién Rainforest
The Emberá
With an estimated population of 15,000, the Emberá inhabit the Darien rainforest of Panamá. This tribe along with the Wounaan were formerly known as the Choco because they migrated from the Choco province of Columbia in the late 18th century. Both the Emberá and the Wounaan have a similar river basin culture.
The Wounaan
There are about 2,600 Wounaan indians who also live in the Darien rainforest. In 1983 the government of Panamá recognized the Comarca Emberá-Drua, a semi-autonomous Indigenous territory for both tribes. This territory overlaps the Darien National Park and Biosphere Reserve.

The Kuna indians live in the San Blas Islands (Kuna Yala)
The Kuna (Dule) have a population of around 47,000 members. They migrated from the Darien region of Panamá to the San Blas Islands on the Atlantic coast in the mid nineteenth century. In 1938, after a long struggle, the Comarca of San Blas (Kuna Yala), a semi-autonomous territory, was recognized by the Panamanian government. THe Kuna women make the beautiful applique "molas".

The Ngobe-Bugle dwell in remote mountainous regions of the northwestern provinces.
T he Ngobe-Bugle (formerly Guaymí) are Panamá's largest Indigenous group with around 47,000 members. They inhabit the mountainous western provinces of Chiriqui, Veraguas and Bocas del Toro. Although the Ngobe-Bugle have recently had their territories recognized as a Comarca by the government they continue to be threatened by outsiders.

Teribe and Bokotá Panamá is also home to two other Indigenous tribes, the Teribe numbering 2,000 and the Bokotá with a population of 4,000. Both these groups inhabit the western part of Panamá near the Costa Rican border.

For pictures of some of Panama's native culture artisan's fine work, please visit http://www.panart.com/