Last modified: 2006-01-14 by dov gutterman
Keywords: panama | swastika | cuna | tule |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
See also:
Around the end of the 19th Century or beginning of the 20th
Century the Kuna Indians (in Panama) revolted and set up the
Republic of Tule or the Republic of the Men (Tule in their
language means "Men" and is the name they use for
themselves). The swastica is an ancient symbol of the culture of
the Kuna (Tule) people.
Jaume Ollé, 29 July 1996
image by Dave Martucci and Antonio Martins, 4
April 2000
There are now also three indigenous districts, including the
"Comarca de San Blas", a.k.a. "Kuna Yala"
inhabited by the Kunas Indians
According a representativa of the Kuna natives in Spain, the old
flag of Kunas is currently in use; the swastika has not any
circular adorn, and the red colour is in fact dark organge
(information provided by vexillologist -and latin american
native peoples expert , Juanjo Gonzalez)
Jaume Olle', 1 January 2000
This currently used flag is then:
- without ring
- dark orange instead of red
- with yellow central stripe
- ratio: 2:3
- with central stripe higher than the others (1:4:1)
Antonio Martins and Jaume Olle', 19 March 2000
Two precisions:
the flag is now manufactured at 2:3 but as far as I know many
first peoples in Latin America prefer square (or close square)
pattern. I doubt that "official" regulation exist.
The central stripe is wider than the upper and lower ones, but
Juanjo (that didn't saw any original flag) is not sure if was
1:2:1, 1:3:1 or 1:4:1.
Jaume Olle', 12 April 2000
image by Dave Martucci and Antonio Martins, 4
April 2000
image by Dave Martucci and Antonio Martins, 4
April 2000
The first of these flags is from a Flag Bulletin [tfb] article which indicated it was
dimensions 4:5 with stripes (1:3:1) of red-yellow-red and a black
"reversed" swastika displayed on one arm (not on a
point as in the Nazi flag).
The second flag is from the "Flags of Aspirant Peoples"
chart, and is basically the same except a 2:3 ratio and with the
addition of a red ring hanging on the junction of the swastika.
I had occasion to ask Whitney Smith about the second flag and he
said it was modified in 1942 because of Nazi associations with
the swastika by the addition of a "nose ring." The
change was made by the Kunas "because everyone knows Germans
do not wear nose rings."
Dave Martucci, 12 November 1996
The second flag is listed under number 197 at the chart
"Flags of Aspirant Peoples" [asp]
as :
"Tule Republic (Kuna Indians, 1925) - San Blas Islands,
Panama."
Ivan Sache, 16 September 1999
image by Kjell Roll Elgsaas, 15 December 1997
In your page about Panama you include the flag of the Kuna
indians and say that it was the flag they used when they
proclaimed independence from Panama "around the end of the
19th Century or beginning of the 20th Century the Kuna
Indians", as a panamanian I know a more accurate date... it
was on february 1925
Jose Ramos , 28 August 1999
I do remember that I saw once a picture of the Kuna flag
in a book (IIRC, It was called: "Wonders of the world in
German) dating back to the 1920's. It was in B/W and next to the
swatiska, on the left was a indian head and on the right the word
Kuna...
Pascal Prince, 5 April 2000
image by Jaume Olle', 25 August 2004
image by Jaume Olle', 25 August 2004
image by Jaume Olle', 25 August 2004
The images of the Kuna Yala flag above is quite a bit
different from the flag I
just received from Gilberto Almancia, a Kuna Indian when I
visited Panama this July 2004. The flag can be seen at <couture.no-ip.info/travel2004>.
Professor John J. Couture, 12 August 2004
According the article in the newspaper "El
Universal" of Panamá, by Anelio Merry: Besidee
that the Kuna nation flag of red, white (not
yellow) and red, with swastica in center, today exists also
another flag that is only recognized by the Aligandi community.
This flag is not shown but described: as follow: "It has
within two crossed hands, an arrow, a bow and nine
stars. The upper stripe is green, the central one is white (with
the hands) and the lower one is red". Theres no doubt that
Merry refers to a flag that was reported by Professor John J.
Couture, describing it with reversed upper and lower stripe
and quoting the central one as white instead of
yellow. I dont know if the differences are dues to a
change, a manufactured variant, or a mistake. Merry
added: The Congreso General Kuna, main authority of the
nation, in one of their sesions adopted the agreement that the
Kuna red, white, red flag created by Maria Colman will be hoisted
in all the communities of the region of Kuna Yala. Maria
Colman, that created the flag, was born precisely in the Aligandi
Community and was the daugther of Olo Kiankipe and her
great pather was the chief Olokindipilele (Simral
Colman) that adopted the flag in 1924 and established its meaning
Notee that near the sea, the white color is yellowized
faster, and sometimes can seems that the central stripe is
yellow, but official color is now white. Also theres mention that
the flag with central white stripe was in use in 1924-25, but
later was changed to a yellow until the agreement of the
Congreso General Kuna in late 90s. The chief Simral Colman
established the meaning of the colors: red (blood); white (peace
and purity), black (symbol of Kunas opressed in their own land).
Then white was changed to yellow and this color was attribued to
the "gold people" (The Kunas or Tule) and the symbol
mean North, South, East and West. The swaistica is an ancestral
Kuna symbol called Naa Ukuryaa.
Jaume Olle', 25 August 2004
image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 29 November 2005
Valentin Poposki located photo at <www.bildungsservice.at>.
This seems to be the Aligandi flag.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 29 November 2005