Panama

Something completely different now... Moving on to the Americas, this one is my second ever (written and stamped) postcard from Panama. Big thank you to Yanireth who sent me this card!



In the picture you can see KUNA indians wearing their traditional clothes. Kuna is the name of an indigenous people of Panama and Colombia. In the Kuna language, the name is Dule or Tule, meaning "people," and the name of the language in Kuna is Dulegaya, meaning "Kuna language" (literally "people-mouth.")

The Kuna live in three politically autonomous comarcas or reservations in Panama, and in a few small villages in Colombia. There are also communities of Kuna people in Panama City, Colón, and other cities. The greatest number of Kuna people live on small islands in the comarca of Kuna Yala. The other two Kuna comarcas in Panama are Kuna de Madugandí and Kuna de Wargandí.

The Kuna are famous for their molas, a colorful textile art form made with the techniques of applique and reverse appliqué. Mola panels are used to make the blouses of the Kuna women's national dress, which is worn daily by many Kuna women. Mola means "clothing" in the Kuna language. The Kuna word for a mola blouse is Tulemola, (or "dulemola") "Kuna people's clothing."



The stamps are great, too. The bigger one is from a set of 17 stamps issued in 2003 under the theme "Centenary of the Republic of Panama 1903 to 2003". The other two stamps are from a set of 6 stamps issued in 2007 depicting tourism.