Kindling self-determination among the Kuna

Howe, J.

The San Blas Kuna are a prosperous indigenous population living in a reserve in Panama which is popular with tourists, most of whom arrive by light plane or cruise ships for short stays. The Kuna are concerned about outside commercial interests established in the reserve for long periods. The paper discusses confrontations with non-Kuna tourist operators from the late 1960s to the present day and the complex political background to the clashes.