My name is Yari. I’m a 39-year-old woman who is the wife of one of the 2 chiefs of the Embera Community in Panama.

I’m from one of the 7 different tribes in Panama which is from Darien, Camarca 2, a territory assigned to us by the Panama government. My tribe initially came here in the 50’s; we’re a small community with 20 families. We would like to be known more nationally and globally as an indigenous community.

As a woman in the Embera community, we are appreciated so that we can freely talk about what we feel and who we are. We feel we are very important as a different culture. The highest challenge for me and the adults here is to preserve and pass down our culture, our traditions and customs to our children.
Women here work both inside and outside the house, and men and women always share the work.

In my daily life I would rather to cook traditional meals and to make Chicha, which is our customary beverage made of corn or rice; it is very delicious. I like to go to fishing too. It makes me very happy. I feel very happy here while I am in touch with nature. The town is also nice, but only for one day. At the end of the day, I feel happier here.

"Bi Abua"

Yari
Panama, 20 August 2018

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