THE PROBLEMS OF PRESERVING THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE GUNA INDIANS

Atencio Roman Alexis Master's Degree, Faculty of Economics, RUDN University 6 Miklukho-Maklaya str., Moscow, 117198, Russia 1132215122@rudn.ru Kargovskaia Elena Aleksandrovna ORCID: 0000-0001-7764-0565 Senior lecturer, Department of Foreign Languages, RUDN University 6 Miklukho-Maklaya str., Moscow, 117198, Russia kargovskaya-ea@rudn.ru Other publications by this author

Kuznetsova Viktoriia Vladimirovna ORCID: 0000-0003-4545-1676 PhD in History Associate professor, Department of Ibero-American Studies, RUDN University 6 Miklukho-Maklaya str., Moscow, 117198, Russia kuznetsova-vv@rudn.ru Other publications by this author

introduction

Indigenous cultures around the world face unprecedented challenges and are often in danger of extinction. Preserving the cultural heritage of these peoples is an important task not only for themselves, but for all mankind. These cultures possess valuable knowledge and traditions that have developed over the millennia and open up unique prospects for the development of the world as a whole. The loss of indigenous knowledge and practices is an irreparable loss for all of us, as we are losing part of the cultural heritage of all mankind.

The indigenous peoples of Panama have a rich cultural heritage deeply rooted in their traditions and beliefs. The Guna people living in Panama and Colombia represent one of the most sovereign indigenous communities in the world, with extensive land holdings and self-governing rights. They are known for their colorful traditional clothes, intricate manners, beliefs, and strong sense of community. The relevance of the topic is due to the fact that in an increasingly homogenized world, the preservation of indigenous cultures ensures that these cultural diversity will not be lost due to the impact of globalization. The way of life of the Guna Indians, their traditions, worldview and definition of the human role in the world are unique and of great interest for research.

In Spanish literature, the theme of the Goon people is relatively well studied. Thus, the authors are particularly interested in the territorial features of one of the oldest de jure autonomies of indigenous peoples on the planet, the Kuna Yala Comarca (formerly San Blas) in Panama ^[1,2]. Another relevant research topic is the problems and importance of tourism activities for the Guna Indians. According to Cebaldo de Leon Smith Inawinapi, tourism increasingly represents one of the driving forces of socio-cultural change and an opportunity for the development of indigenous peoples. While other indigenous peoples have lost some control over tourism and its resources, the Huns exercise political control over the process of tourism development ^[3].

Tourism activities have also increased the recognition of the Guna people at the national and international levels. However, tourism has had an extremely negative impact on the environment in Komarks ^[4,5]. As for the Russian literature, it is important to note that issues related to the Guna peoples have been very poorly studied, which undoubtedly affects the relevance of the topic of this study.

PROBLEMS OF PRESERVING THE MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL HERITAGE OF THE GUNA PEOPLE

Today, the Guna people (previously used the ethnonyms: Tule, Kuna), belonging to the Chibcha group, live in 3 politically autonomous Comarques in the northeast of Panama (Guna Yala with the capital Gaigirgordub, Kuna de Madugandi, the capital of Akua Yala and Kuna de Vargandi), in the cities of Panama City and Colon, as well as in small settlements in Colombia.

The Huns represent a rare example of how the indigenous peoples of the American continent achieved self-government over their land and preserved their customs, culture and beliefs. Obtaining the status of territorial autonomy of the Kuna-Yala Comarca may be an example of respect for the fundamental rights of indigenous peoples ^[6].

So, what kind of people are these? They are short, about 150 cm on average, and only slightly taller than African pygmies, which did not prevent the Huns from making basketball their favorite game. They are well-built, have excellent health, an excellent sense of humor and inexhaustible vitality. Gunas are peaceful and benevolent, they are able to quickly adapt to changing living conditions, while showing fantastic resistance to anything that may damage their cultural integrity ^[7]. If gunas encounter external danger, they resolutely and fiercely defend their culture and way of life.

The fact that the Gunas managed to preserve their identity and prevent mixing with other peoples, of whom many have visited their territory, seems absolutely incredible in today's world. Since ancient times, the Guna Indians were strictly forbidden to come into close contact and marry representatives of other peoples. Violation of this law was punishable by lifelong exile from the tribe. There are cases in history when children with obviously alien appearance were born to the Coons, their fate is sad.

Nowadays, the gunas are becoming more and more integrated into modern society, and this situation is gradually changing.

Another feature is that albinos are often born among the Goons (they even got the nickname "White Indians" or "Children of the Moon"). According to tradition, society has a special role for them: during lunar eclipses, only gong albinos are allowed to go outside to chase away the monster that devours the moon. The estimated number of Huns at the time of their meeting with the Europeans was 500-700 thousand people. Today there are about 50,000 of them ^[8].

Upholding their freedom, independence, and the right to preserve their own culture is a fundamental principle for the Gunas. They are deeply convinced that if they lose their culture, they will disappear as a people. Equally important for them is the preservation of autonomy and territorial integrity. They believe that there is a connection between them and their land "Guna Yala" (translated from the Guna language: "Guna Land"). From the very beginning, they lived resisting, protecting their roots. Because, as the gunas say, "In the cultural expression of the people there is a steady stamp of the essence of freedom, dignity and respect for oneself as a people." The Guna are well aware of their freedom, of their dignity as a people and as the indigenous population of their territories ^[9].

The indigenous peoples, known as the Guna, refer to the entire continent as "Abya Yala," which translates from their language as "land in full maturity" or "fertile land." Currently, Native American social movements also use this name to refer to the entire American continent. In this way, they express their historical and political position, believing that the name "America" was imposed by European colonialists and is alien to the indigenous peoples of the continent.

It is worth paying attention to one of the most important events that took place in the history of the Guna – the uprising in 1925. Then a group of Indian rebels led by Nele Cantule from the island of Ledge and Simral Colman from Ailigandi attacked Panamanian policemen who were on the islands of Ukupseni and Tupile. This event is called the "Goon Revolution" by the Indians and ceremonial chants are played on his memorial day ^[7].

What caused this conflict? Disrespect for the traditions of Guna, prohibition of traditional clothing and jewelry, instilling a lifestyle alien to Indians, religious and moral values. The Panamanian authorities openly called the region inhabited by the Huns undeveloped and barbaric ^{[10, p. 173]}.

The Huns are confident that their uprising in February 1925 was the most correct response to the brutality, humiliation, and murder that their people endured in the process of so-called "domestication."

The Gunas consider the main elements of their culture to be:

1. Traditional political governance.

2. Collective construction of houses.

3. Manufacture of the pier.

4. Rituals and rituals:

– Reflecting the worldview of the Gunas, their history, beliefs, their knowledge of the world, as well as their ideas about the role and purpose of man in the world, the main stages of his life: birth, puberty - puberty (especially for girls), marriage, illness (healing chants), death (funeral rituals), etc.

– Related to traditional gong activities (hunting, fishing, making moles, caring for children, lullabies, etc.)

The method of preserving and transmitting cultural heritage to subsequent generations through chants, which the Guna Indians continue to use, goes back centuries. The Gong language acquired writing relatively recently and is based on the Latin alphabet, but historically the languages of the Chibchan family, to which the Gong language belongs, had no writing except for a few inscriptions, which are a set of small symbolic drawings resembling hieroglyphs. The absence of writing in the Chibcha languages, in particular, was testified by Bernardo de Lugo, a Dominican missionary and linguist who compiled the first grammar of the language of the Chibcha people (or Mosca) ^{[11, p. 114]}. Therefore, such chants are an important and in fact the only source of information about the Gunas about their history, culture, beliefs and traditions.

To preserve the accuracy of traditions, as well as to consider the possibilities of their adaptation to modern life, Saila (Elders) gather several times a year at the General Congress on Culture. The General Congress of Gongala is the highest political authority, and the Constitution of Gong establishes the fundamental principles for all districts of the Republic.

Before the Congress begins, the village Crier, Suar Ibgana, must go around the village with a bell and notify all residents. At the same time, a fine is imposed on all those who are absent for no reason. The villagers gather at the Congress House, which has another name – Ibeorgun House. According to legend, it was Ibeorgun, the Messenger of the Great Father, who pointed out to the ancestors of the Huns the need to build a meeting house and approve eight Saila Leaders, who are obliged to consult with each other and with the whole people when making important decisions. Saila, smoking pipes, leisurely chatting with each other, take their places of honor on hammocks in the center – this position of the Elders is not accidental, guna explain that it is very important that during decision–making Saila should face the sky, where the God - Paba dwells, who instructs Saila. ^{[12, p.138]}. Tribesmen sit around the perimeter of the room on hard wooden benches.

During such meetings, women can do needlework, children can play, it happens that someone gets distracted, makes noise, or even takes a nap, since the chants can be quite prolonged and monotonous, then Suar Ibgana declares himself again, he will definitely call the violator to order. The Suar Ibganah usually carry wooden carved batons, which are a symbol of power and are never used as weapons, in addition, they always have a well-modulated commanding voice. To some extent, the functions of Xuar Ibgan can be compared with the functions of a policeman.

It is worth noting that Sail has several Argar translators who perform important functions in the Congress, since the leaders can only be contacted through an "interpreter." It is important to note that the ritual chants are performed in a complex, esoteric language full of subtle and sophisticated metaphors, which is quite difficult for ordinary gunas to understand. Argar's task is to explain the content of the chants in a concise and accessible form ^[7].

Thus, the entire population of Gong is imbued with a sense of the uniqueness of their own culture from early childhood. Each of them knows the history of his people by heart, from the beginning of time in their understanding to the present day. The Gunas retain both the modern form of their language and its archaic form used in chants.

Gong women stand out quite strongly from the representatives of other indigenous peoples of Latin America: they are incredibly proud, full of dignity and self-confidence. And they have reasons for this: Gong families are matrilineal (kinship is passed down the maternal line) and matrilocal (the family settles in close proximity to the bride's family). The traditional division of roles between men and women guarantees balance in the relationship and the absence of dominance. Gong women know their purpose and the importance of their position in society, and this is also stated in traditional chants that reveal the worldview of the Gong people.

The traditional dress of the mola women deserves special attention, as well as their tradition of decorating themselves with gold and beads. The word "mola" means "clothes", "attire", including the attire of Mother Nature. Initially, before the arrival of Europeans, the Guna used to "dress in the air" (vestirse de aire) and decorate their bodies with drawings in the form of various geometric shapes. With the prohibition of nudity by European missionaries, the Guna Indians, as is typical of almost all indigenous peoples, developed unique traditional clothing that they use and jealously preserve to this day. Gong women wear a long skirt with traditional motifs, a red and yellow scarf, gold jewelry around their necks, unusual beaded jewelry on their arms and legs (Gong women are proud of their thin ankles and wrists, which they emphasize with bright beaded threads that attract the eye), gold nose rings and multicolored blouses, made using the reverse applique technique from layers of multicolored fabric superimposed on each other and sewn with special stitching, forming unusual, unique patterns reflecting the idea of the world, nature and spiritual life of the gunas. The blouse-mola has two handmade inserts – the front and the back, while the drawings of both inserts are either identical or have similar motifs filled with symbols related to mythology or the way of life of the goons. Unfortunately, nowadays, ordinary modern clothes are gradually becoming part of the everyday life of gong women, leaving the traditional outfit as a festive costume. I would like to hope that the youth will retain their love and loyalty to traditions and will not lose the unique art of making jetties.

Art, as represented by the gunas, is a way to express admiration and appreciation for nature. An extremely important role is played by verbal oratory and the art of chanting, reflecting myths and precepts of leaders, stories, legends, magical rituals, secret spells of healers, lamentations for the deceased, lullabies, speeches and reports of acquired experiences, life cycles of the gunas, colorful anecdotes, jokes, greetings - all this is recited, sung, It is shouted, whispered and, most importantly, obeyed by the whole community.

For the gunas, the entire universe is dual, divided into masculine and feminine principles. This dualism is reflected in the perception of art. Traditionally, verbal art is attributed to the masculine principle, and visual art (the making of a pier) is attributed to the feminine.

An important part of the culture of the Panamanian Huns is the joint construction of dwellings. The Gunas had a wonderful tradition: after the wedding ritual, accompanied by the serving of chicha prepared by the groom to all the guests, the male guests, rolling up their sleeves and picking up axes, began to clear the place and build housing for the newlyweds. The construction of the hut could take about a week. The building materials are bamboo and palm branches. It is not difficult to imagine how unifying and strengthening intra-communal bonds this joint men's work was. In this regard, the attitude towards such seemingly positive and progressive changes in the life of the Guna community is becoming ambiguous, when the country's authorities provide housing to those who are forced to leave their homes on the islands due to climate change and rising sea levels. The goodwill and unquestionably good intentions of the authorities, while making life easier for the Huns, at the same time deprive them of the need to build housing in the traditional way. But this is exactly how, gradually becoming accustomed to the modern way of life, accepting the benefits of technical and industrial progress, various peoples lose their unique traditions, crafts, art forms, etc. They disappear due to their lack of demand in people's daily lives. Today, the Gunas preserve a huge layer of their culture, which goes back centuries. But, undoubtedly, the integration of the Gunas into the life of modern Panama and the emergence of such attributes of modern life as housing, clothing, education, medicine, television and the Internet cannot but affect their lifestyle.

According to the deep conviction of the Guna Indians, their mission on Earth, the mission of the Dule, that is, people, is to take care of it, take care of nature in all its manifestations and raise their children as followers of this cause. An important principle followed by the gunas is to consume, but not abuse, the resources of Mother Earth.

Enrique Guerrero, one of the leaders of the Gunas, says this: "The Earth is the mother of all things, the Great Mother. She is a guardian who carefully looks after all things. The Great Mother helps us to stay in balance" ^{[12, p. 30]}.

A curious and very revealing story took place during the construction of the Panama Canal: it was discovered that the sand found on the islands of the San Blas archipelago (Guna Yala), where the Guna live, is ideal for mixing with cement during the construction of locks. The construction company offered the Elders to buy sand from them. The elders, after consulting, made a negative decision, explaining their refusal by saying that everything that the Guna Yala Islands are rich in, including sand, is a gift from God and therefore cannot be sold or given away. This decision of the Elders arouses great respect, because it is no secret that in those days and today the Guna people are far from rich in the sense familiar to modern people, and many may even think that the Guna live very primitively, again from the point of view of the European idea of a normal standard of living. Their wealth is revealed only through a closer and deeper study of their lives, their value system, and their worldview. Such a careful and reverent attitude towards Mother Nature and the desire to preserve the harmony of the universe at all costs inherent in this small people are admirable, as well as the degree of responsibility of the gunas for everything that happens to nature on Abya Yala. Already in the second half of the 20th century, the foresight of the Gong Elders became apparent, as the effects of climate change became more and more noticeable and the islands of the archipelago began to sink under water.

The Huns have developed a system of punishments and fines (multas): for failure to attend an evening Congress, for visiting another island without permission, for inappropriate behavior, etc. In addition to very low fines, the most common punishment is extracting the remains of dead corals from the seabed to raise the level of the islands. It should be noted that due to religious beliefs and strong traditions, the crime rate here is incredibly low, and the Goons do not have prisons.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in migration to Panama from various countries, especially from Colombia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and China. This fact is beginning to cause concern among Panamanians, some of whom are opposed to accepting new immigrants.

A large number of illegal migrants enter the country through the border between Panama and Colombia. The mountainous, jungle–covered area known as the Darien Gap, covering an area of 5,000 square kilometers, is one of the most dangerous routes in the world for refugees.

Currently, this problem has become even more acute. According to statistics from the Panamanian government, between January and April 2023, about 127,168 migrants crossed the Darien National Park, which is more than 1,000 people per day. This is six times more than in the same period in 2022 (see Figure 1) ^[8]. According to the authorities, if the trend continues, more than 400,000 people will cross the border in 2024. Eighty percent of this number are adults (of which 80% are men and 20% are women) and 20% are minors. In addition, in May, UNICEF reported that an average of eight to ten unaccompanied children cross Darien every day. According to a survey conducted by the National Migration Service, an average of 20% of migrants arriving monthly intend to legalize their status in Panama.

Such a record number of migrants also puts a strain on basic services in their host communities. In Bajo Chiquito, the number of tourists is sometimes five times higher than the number of residents, which puts a strain on, for example, water supply and other basic services in the community.

Figure No. 1: Irregular transit of foreigners across the border with Colombia in 2023. Source: Own development using data from the National Migration Service of Panama ^[13].

The flow of illegal migrants, one of the epicenters of which was the Guna Yala district, provoked problems among the indigenous population. Some gong leaders are demanding a more effective response from the authorities responsible for this issue. Data from the National Border Guard Service (Senafront) ^[14] shows that in 2022, 12 gunas were arrested and prosecuted for smuggling migrants. People who engage in such activities for money are popularly called "coyotes." The leaders of the region insist that not all those arrested are "coyotes", because in some cases, these people simply had to act as guides to help migrants not get lost and get to the province of Darien, where shelters are located. According to Anelio Lopez, one of the Elders of the General Congress of Guna, until recently, the communities of Guna Armila, Asvemullu and Yancibdivar (Carreto) located in the border area were not affected by the migration crisis, but in recent months the situation has changed: in some of these settlements, the number of migrants now exceeds the number of residents, which This leads to overcrowding and problems such as food and medicine shortages. In turn, Guna, the legal adviser to the Congress, stressed that this unexpected and uncontrolled flow of migrants leads to pollution of rivers and protected areas, as well as damage to crops and houses ^[15].

Local residents also complain that the increase in the number of migrants has led to a number of sanitary problems on several islands of the Comarca: the amount of waste in reservoirs and on the mainland has increased. Since there are no water treatment systems in these areas, these problems should be addressed immediately to prevent further pollution affecting the ocean and marine life.

Another problem was the hunting of endangered species of animals living in the park. According to the Gong authorities, all these factors combined cause significant damage to sustainable tourism, which is one of the main economic activities that support the livelihoods of some communities.

International migration flows are often difficult to measure, as a significant part of the population is not accounted for in official administrative documents or may be inadequately reflected. An example is the population entering or leaving through unauthorized points, or data obtained during population censuses that do not focus on the foreign population and its characteristics ^[16]. Thus, statistical sources for the analysis of these flows are not yet sufficiently developed, which poses a problem for the authorities when making decisions. It is important to emphasize the lack of representative information for the entire population, including migrants, for inter-census periods from 5 to 10 years; in the case of migrants, this point is very important due to the changing nature of migration flows and the importance of obtaining up-to-date information about the timing and characteristics of flows.

According to statistics from the National Migration Service (SNM), as of March this year, the main nationalities crossing the Darien jungle are citizens of Venezuela (30,250), Haiti (23,640), Ecuador (14,327), as well as residents of China (3,855), India (2,543) and children of Haitian citizens. born in Chile (2,499) and Brazil (2,072). Other nationalities include people from Colombia, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Somalia, Peru, etc.^[17] The latest monthly monitoring reports from UNHCR and IOM report that people often leave their country of origin for economic reasons, including lack of employment opportunities.

The National Migration Service of Panama does not know exactly how many such migrants are in the country illegally. However, at the request of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) conducted a study of this illegal migration from the entire Latin American region, including the Republic of Panama.

The study found that the phenomenon of migration of non-continental migrants to Latin America is "new and growing," consisting of mixed migration flows involving various types of migrants such as economic migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, and victims of migrant smuggling.

The reasons for the increase in migration were: (1) visa cancellation for Chinese citizens in Colombia, (2) visa cancellation for citizens of all countries of the world in Ecuador, (3) military conflicts in the Middle East and Central Africa, (4) natural disasters such as earthquakes in Haiti and Nepal, and (5) the political situation in the United States, Venezuela and Nicaragua and related changes in migration policy ^[18].

The case of regular migration is already causing a lot of ideological conflicts among the Panamanian population. There are votes for, but above all, the votes against are starting to become more significant.

The mass arrival of foreigners to Panama in recent years has been perceived by a significant part of the local population as an unfavorable social phenomenon for the country. For example, many Panamanians consider the influx of Venezuelans to be "aggressive."

The migration crisis, in addition to being a detrimental problem for humanity, also harms the environment due to pollution caused by the constant outflow of foreigners who cross and alter natural ecosystems (jungles and rivers).

This migration movement can be observed in the Darien National Park (PND), the largest protected area in Panama and Central America, also declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981 at the request of the Government of Panama for the presence of elements of outstanding beauty and in recognition of its global importance ^[19]. In addition, in 1983 it was recognized as a biosphere reserve under the UNESCO Human and Biodiversity program.

Currently, the area of the Darien National Park is 579,000 hectares, which mainly includes the ecosystem of the tropical broad-leaved evergreen forest. Currently, this facility has been damaged due to the constant passage of migrants, given that this area has a low capacity, in this case about 102 people per day.

The President of Panama said that about "9,000 tons of garbage" had accumulated on the jungle border with Colombia and that it would take "60 years" to restore and eliminate it^[17]. The most urgent step is to manage the border with Colombia.

The most urgent step is to dispose of this waste. According to experts, only at the first stage of the elimination of the consequences of the accident, about $ 1 million will be needed to collect and remove garbage by land, river and air with the involvement of local labor.

To summarize, there are several factors that pose a threat to the preservation of the culture of the Panamanian Guna Indians:

- Climate change, which forces the Goons to leave their usual places of residence.

- The absorption of Gong culture into the lifestyle of ordinary residents of Panama or Colombia as a result of integration and the emergence of attributes of modern life (housing, clothing, education, medicine, television and the Internet).

- Problems related to immigrants to the territory of Guna Yala.

conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that it is often not direct aggression and harassment that threatens the extinction of a culture. In such situations, people often rally and try their best to preserve their identity and uniqueness, but soft power and "good intentions." Globalization has borne fruit – today the way of life of people, especially urban residents, differs little in different countries and on different continents. Multi–storey buildings, supermarkets, shopping malls, amusement parks, resorts, TV sets, computers, TV series, social networks — all this makes all the inhabitants of the "global village" indistinguishable from each other. This is what the gunas are so afraid of. What should be done to preserve unique cultures, traditions, languages, and peoples?

In our opinion, respect for the indigenous population and consideration of their interests and peculiarities in planning the development of the region is of paramount importance in solving any problems. We should stop looking at them with the arrogance inherent in modern Westerners (and to this day, unfortunately) and the conviction that their way of life is the most progressive and the only correct one. Before helping these unique peoples and improving their living conditions, one should consider whether these actions are destroying their customs and traditions. It is necessary to study their worldview and mythology, to record and record what is preserved today only in the form of oral chants, because upon closer and deeper examination of the culture of the Gunas, the enormous wealth of this people is revealed, which, in a sense, makes them happier and richer than us. It is worth thinking about how, instead of the age-old attempt to introduce them to civilization in the conventional sense, to provide an opportunity for such peoples as the gunas to develop on their own path and see how we could learn wisdom and foresight from them.

It is also important to emphasize that the current migration crisis experienced by the continent certainly affects the lifestyle of the Huns. Despite the fact that the community is accustomed to tourism, which is one of its main economic activities, the possible uncontrolled influx of migrants is devastating for these small islands. The Governments of Colombia and Panama, as well as other countries in the region, should already be looking for possible solutions to the current situation.