“Stand tall, but be sure to bend slightly at the knees,” yelled Max Williams, my Indigenous guide representing the Naso Comarca, as my travel companion Laura and I slowly started to travel down the Teribe River in Northeastern Panama. Slightly nervous, I smiled and waved. “Remember to use your feet for balance just like surfing when you enter the rough spots” he called out as our homemade bamboo raft picked up speed and headed faster downstream.

Laura and I were at the riverbank in the middle of the jungle, leaving behind the tiny Naso village of Sieykin, which is only reachable by water. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d be traveling down a river while standing up on a homemade bamboo raft. But visiting the heart of the Naso Kingdom – an ancient community that has no roads and is centered around the river – meant we had no other way.

Adventure and Culture in the Heart of the Naso Comarca

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 3,500 remaining members is being forced to move away from the comarca, threatening what they value most, their cultural identity as a tribe.

Since 2020, the Tourism Authority of Panama and other international NGOs have been counting on community tourism as a way forward for indigenous communities throughout Panama and have funded the ambitious $301 million Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism. While the development of community tourism has been slow in the Naso Comarca, there is hope that the rehabilitation of an ancestral trail (that follows the river) will help increase tourism to this remote part of Panama. The community also became part of the Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Map last June, bringing more awareness to tourism experiences. But it is the hope that once the trail is completed this spring, more visitors will come.

Spending a day with the Naso tribe in Sieykin was one of the highlights of my trip to Panama. The night before heading upriver to Sieykin, Laura and I stayed near the Posada Medialuna, a rustic community tourism initiative located in the Bonllik comarca, not far from Changuinola.

Visiting Sieykin: An Indigenous Village Only Reachable by Water

In the morning, we met our Naso guide, Max Williams for an hour motorboat ride up the Teribe River to reach the heart of the Naso kingdom, Sieykin where the king resides and a thriving Naso community continues to live as they have for generations.

As we rode upriver, Max shared a bit about the importance of nature, particularly the water for his people. “The basis of Naso life, both historically and today, is the Teribe River. Although called the Teribe by the Spanish, the original Naso name for the river is Tjër D. ‘Di’ means ‘water’ and ‘Tjer’ is the ‘Grand-Mother’, the giver of life and guiding spiritual force of the Naso ancestors.

Photo of Max leading us up the Teribe River

The History and Resilience of the Naso Tribe

The Naso Comarca hugs the vast forests of the Tjër Di river basin (including the Palo Seco Protective Forest and the La Amistad International Park) and extends to the border with Costa Rica. For centuries, the Naso have been the stewards of their land and have fought against its destruction from neighboring tribes, big business, and the government itself. It was not until they officially received their comarca five years ago that they finally became the legal protectors.

“We strongly forbid the illegal cutting down of our trees,” Max told us and “we unsuccessfully fought for decades against putting in the hydroelectric plant and dam on the river.  At first, locals were happy to find jobs – albeit low-paying ones – at the hydroelectric company but when they finished the work and closed down the company, they were left once again with nothing”.

This is where community tourism can help. Slowly over the past 10 years, thanks to the entrepreneurship of the women in Bonyik who opened up Posada Mediluna and young guides like Max, tourism has begun creeping into their comarca. It has helped, but still, it is not enough.

Home of the Naso King who is democratically elected by the tribe.

We arrived at the bank of the entrance to Sieykin and still had a twenty-minute walk crossing through rivers and jungle until we reached the community. We saw women washing clothes and children playing in the river. As a Westerner, I was not accustomed to how hard it is to walk through the currents of a rushing river and felt a little bit embarrassed as I saw abuelas much older than me, lifting up the hem of their dress and effortlessly walking across.

One of many river crossings on the way to the community

We spent the afternoon at the home of Cristovalina and her family, learning about Naso culture through various activities such as traditional weaving to make baskets, handicrafts, and even the roofs of their homes, and also traditional chocolate making.

How Community Tourism Supports Indigenous Cultures in Panama

“The essence of tourism is that we share culture,” our guide Max’s mother told us the night before when we had dinner at their home. “We need help with tourism as a way to preserve our community and our land, to help us remain who we are and not lose our identity”.

Learning about how families come together and make chocolate was my favorite experience. Harvesting chocolate is a tradition passed on from generation to generation by the grandmother to her daughter and involves the entire family. It is also how their language and stories are passed on through hours of storytelling and singing by the fire.

I even captured this beautiful moment in this reel I created for Instagram of the chocolate-making tradition.

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As we left Sieykin floating down the river on a homemade bamboo raft, I couldn’t help but wonder what the future holds for the Naso community. Will the opening of the much-anticipated Naso Trail bring the responsible tourism that they so desperately need to survive?

While the first phase covering 8 kilometers is now complete (reaching the communities of Bonyik and So Long), the remaining four kilometers should be ready for next season’s tourism season. I remember the words I heard the night before from our guide Max’s mother, a true warrior and champion of the Naso cause:

“For hundreds of years, we’ve fought for our land, our culture, and our traditions,” said Virginia Sososo. “Finally, we have the chance to share it with others through community tourism. It has allowed visitors to come here and learn about our culture and community and not take it away. To not extract things but to appreciate and respect our unique culture and land. When people stay for a night or two and spend time with us and talk to us, it creates an unforgettable experience and connects us. It brings us hope”.