"This book is an ethnographic, folkloric, literary, and scholarly
treasure." -- The Journal of Latin American Anthropology
The Kuna Indians of Panama, probably best known for molas, their
colorful applique blouses, also have a rich literary tradition of
oral stories and performances. One of the largest indigenous groups
in the South American tropics, the majority of them (about 70,000)
reside in Kuna Yala, a string of island and mainland villages
stretching along the Caribbean coast. It is here that Joel Sherzer
lived among them, photographing and recording their verbal
performances, which he feels are representative of the beauty,
complexity, and diversity of the oral literary traditions of the
indigenous peoples of Latin America.
This book is organized into three types of texts: humorous and
moralistic stories; myths and magical chants; and women's songs.
While quite different from one another, they share features
characteristic of Kuna literature as a whole, including
appreciation of their environment and a remarkable knowledge of
their plants and animals; a belief in spirits as an important
component of their world in curing, magic, and aesthetics; and,
especially, great humor and a sense of play.
Vividly illustrated by a Kuna artist and accompanied by
photographs that lend a sense of being present at the performances,
the texts provide readers with a unique aesthetic perspective on
this rich culture while preserving an endangered and valuable
indigenous oral tradition.
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