Another cheer for the Guna people, who deeply value and protect the present and future lives of women.
This small community, with around 62,000 members, lives much as their ancestors did. They continue to practice ancient rituals, honor traditional knowledge, and incorporate these practices into their daily lives, maintaining their cultural heritage intact. This San Blas sailing experience will change your view on life and help you remember what it is to share and live in a close community.
The Guna have a matrilineal society, where lineage and inheritance are traced through the female line. This means property, including land, is passed down from mothers to daughters. This system empowers women, contributing to their social and economic status, and highlights their significant role within both the family and the community.
In Guna culture, when a woman gets married, the groom (or more accurately, the spouse) moves into the bride's home. From that point, his labor belongs to the woman's family. It is the woman who decides whether to share his work—such as fishing, harvesting coconuts, or gathering plantains—with her parents or siblings. The children of this union are raised within the woman's family, and it is the woman's responsibility to pass down traditions, customs, language, and values, ensuring the continuity of their cultural identity. Grandmothers, or "Muu," hold especially respected positions and are regarded as the keepers of knowledge and tradition. A San Blas Islands tour offers a unique opportunity to witness a way of life untouched by time.
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