Documentary?

I’ve been thinking a lot about my next film. I still have some footage from the South Pacific, however a few of the tapes were broken by my camera and i need to figure out how to fix them. I’m going to takes some of those clips and post them on the internet as soon as I’m able to edit and compress video again. I’ve also been thinking about the Kuna again. When I came to the San Blas 5 years ago it was significantly different. It was the most untouched and beautiful place I’d ever seen or even imagined for that matter. It is still quite amazing but “times are a chang’n”. I cant believe i wrote magazine articles inviting people to this beautiful and unspoiled place, what the hell was I thinking? These pictures are from 5 years ago, when I return i will get some pictures of what I see happening now. 5 years ago I’d see half a dozen of these sailing dugouts a day. In the three weeks I was there recently I saw only two the entire time.

There is a bar and internet cafe in the western lemon islands now. The Panamanians have opened a road to Cartee as well as cellular coverage and internet. Visitors come by jeep or plane and get toured around the islands by boat. Almost all of  these dugout canoes have motors on them now. The Kuna are always begging for money, have cell-phones (usually with no minutes on them), and are begging cruisers for “Spare” fuel.  Often you see them rowing with a motor on back for lack of money for fuel. The elders are trying to put a stop to this kind of activity, but its pointless, progress will roll through, the younger generation wants it.

I visited another cruisers boat the other night night for dinner with some friends. The people were nice and showed me a slideshow of how they were “building” a bar on a remote island in the holidays islands to “help” a Kuna guy. Outsiders are not allowed to invest, intermarry, or own any land in Kuna Yalla, and are not supposed to interfere with the Kuna way of life. They didn’t invest any money but started to build a structure for a bar. The woman telling me the story was very proud of this. I should have gone home with a headache as I could feel myself tensing as I bit my lip.

There is also a German guy in the San Blas being paid by the Kuna to put moorings in (by his advice) and the anchorage ground is slowly being spoiled and fowled by moorings and people with their hands out for money. They were given a big screen TV and satellite dish by “investors” at the bar so the cruisers could sit around and watch sports and drink cold beer. Trust me I have nothing against cold beer but why would you want to sit around and watch television in the San Blas?  I guess I’m strange for not wanting to hang out in a sports bar in these beautiful islands? Yet again an indigenous people and culture are being wiped out by people who want to make money. They are becoming a race of impoverished people at the speed of “progress”.

The Kuna only drank alcohol at two ceremonies a year, the elders and chiefs prohibited anything else. You see them drinking all the time now, stumbling around and making fools of themselves. Just two beers will really put a Kuna over the edge. I suppose it was the same way with the American Indians?

The woman telling me of “helping” the Kuna wouldn’t be quiet for a moment in the 4 or so hours I was at dinner. Don’t get me wrong they are nice people. I just don’t personally agree with her motivation to “help” an indigenous people drink and become poor. As soon as I had mentioned “perhaps building bars, bringing them alcohol, money, and fuel might not be such a good idea, they did really well sailing around in their dugouts selling molas” the vibe changed and she looked at me like I just bombed her home town. She told me that she thought “all of the anchorages should be filled with moorings and everyone should pay! Do you have a sailing dinghy”? she asked “no…, but I’m not a Kuna.” I replied. With this kind of help they may become poor instead of indigenous people living off the land, and what will the Panamanians do once they see money flowing in? The conversation changed topics and that was the end of that.

I was uncomfortable for the rest of the evening. I think it’s better if I only visit with close friends or just stay home with my mouth closed and my words on the internet.

The Kuna are healthy and happy without Alcohol, tobacco, preservatives, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, or television. Most of them just live on fish, rice, and the occasional sweet from the store. They have always made enough money selling molas (Hand sewn tapestry) and coconuts. It seems as if the pride of the people is quickly evaporating. As cruisers we are in a unique position. We should gently visit cultures and try to learn from them, not instill our beliefs or help them “progress”.

Seeing the Kuna beg the way they are makes me so very sad and I feel partially responsible for writing about this place. There are at least three times as many boats here then 5 years ago. I know I cant stop “progress” but perhaps I should dedicate myself to make a documentary on this culture before it is gone forever, and that will happen during the next decade or two?

I’ve contacted Canon for support, or a discount on a camera package to make my next film. All I have is a barely functional flip video camera and no still camera. Editing computer on the way, thanks Capt Paul! I want to shoot my next film using the Canon EOS D5 MarkII (sweeeet camera). If Canon doesn’t come through I’m going to start looking for some investors to help with the project that are interested in a percentage of the film and producer credit. There is a story that needs to be told here. It’s not a “cruising” video, but a story of a beautiful, and rapidly vanishing indigenous culture.

The Islands to the South of the Holindays keys are still relatively untouched, but not for long?

I have a friend coming at the end of the month and I’m going to prepare for a few weeks in the San Blas. The weather has been crappy and it is the wettest few months of the year. Personally I like the cooler climate, endless showers on deck, and lack of direct sun. When I’m there I’m going to meet with the Kuna congresso and speak to them about this project.

Peace, Love, and coconuts!

– Alex

Author: Alex

I'm just a sailor bum ;) View all posts by Alex