A day with the Embara

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A day with the Embara Tribe Panama

Feb. 26 2008 Tuesday – This morning we left early to meet the Embara tribe.

We arrived at the shore of a lake where a large, dug-out canoe waited for us. Once onboard we journeyed about an hour across the lake and then up a river to the Embera Village. At one point we had to get out of the canoe to help push it up the shallow part of the river. When we arrived at the village the Embara were waiting for us, playing drums and flutes as we came to shore. They continued to play until all of us left the shore. The music was fantastic. The women wore bright multi-colored skirts, no tops, and the men had material draped between their legs. In the village we met in a central gathering place. There we listened to stories, some of their heritage and customs, with our guide, translating.

Huts are built above ground with thatch roofs. They use palm skins for the floor. The floors were flexible but very strong. In the corner there is used for cooking. They cover the palm skin with clay to contain the flames.

Lunch was delicious the choices were prepared chicken, or fish, with plantains (sort of like unsweetened bananas) It was served in a bowl made from a large leaf the flavor was fantastic.

The people were beautiful. Dark skin and all the women had long black hair. They looked more Polynesian than Hispanic. We went back to the main gathering area and most of our group got tattoos. The women use a dye made from a local fruit and paint it on with a two-pointed bamboo stick. The tattoos last one to two weeks. This was followed by some music and dancing. First, all the women danced and then the men joined in. Next they had our crew dancing with them. After the dancing, we went with a Shaman on a hike to check out plants that he uses for medicinal purposes.