After a beautiful morning whale-watching in the Chiriqui National Marine Park in Boca Chica, Panama it was time to hit the road and head to our next stop: Bonyic Naso Indigenous Community in the Bocas del Toro Province of Northwestern Panama.
As one of seven indigenous tribes in Panama – the smallest and one of the last monarchies in the Americas- the Naso have fought for their lives, their land, and their culture for hundreds of years, facing continual threats and persecution by other tribes, big business, and even their government. After decades of protest, in 2020, the Naso were finally granted the return of some of their ancestral land in the formation of their comarca (semi-autonomous Indigenous region), which includes the biodiverse La Amistad Biosphere Reserve (Central America’s largest intact rainforest). Yet, decades of little opportunity have meant this tiny tribe of only 3500 remaining members are being forced to move away from the comarca, threatening what they value most, their cultural identity as a tribe.
Riding a traditional bamboo raft down the Teribe River is one of many fun experiences offered by the Naso tribe’s community tourism initatives
I spent two days visiting three of the eleven communities of the tribe and it was one of the most meaningful experiences I had in two weeks in Panama. One of the most special parts of my trip happened the very first night. Here is the story.