The Pajaro Jai Foundation     Espanol

Development, and Cultural Maintenance

In the past, indigenous populations meeting encroaching development has meant not only disenfranchisement, but also a loss of their culture. Almost as a rule the indigenous populations have been relegated to the lowest stations of society and stripped of access to land which has been their home for centuries. Normally these patterns of development are not deliberately destructive or exploitative; more often they represent an economic dynamic created by the consequence of the meeting of need, means and materials at different levels. From the farmer to the international corporation, these forces have had the advantage of economic and technological resources and have been able to act unrestricted, often at the expense of the indigenous population. At times this process has been sanctioned government policy, but more often it has been simply a matter of economics, the need to generate income with the only available resource in undeveloped areas --- the land that harbors indigenous populations.

Mogue at Dawn
Can they avoid the dependencies so typical of many help programs?

Normally indigenous populations have lacked the economic clout and technological knowledge to meet these developmental forces on more favorable terms or to adapt to the changing environment which development brings. The biggest change being the encroachment of colonists into traditional homelands. One does not have to look hard to see the results of native populations meeting expanding populations and economies in the Americas. To some extent exploitation of cultures and resources defines New World history. This process is still continuing today. There are still "frontiers" where development is meeting untouched areas. The spot where western man first beheld the Pacific - the Darien - is one such frontier.

The Darien province of Panama, in the eastern part of the country, contains the largest tract of pristine rainforest in Central America. It is also home to three distinct indigenous populations: Kuna; Wonan; and Embera (the Wonan and Embera are also known as Chocoe). Mogue is an Embera community of about 500 people. Mogue is also at the front line of encroaching development.

The Indian population of Mogue is well aware of the historical precedent of development. They have long felt pressure from encroaching development and are not ignorant of modern cultures and economies. They know exactly what is at stake and are actively searching for ways to secure their rights and to protect their culture and habitat. But they are still hampered by the lack of economic power and skills needed to compete with developing forces.

There are in existence structures to secure and protect the rights of indigenous populations in Panama; but these structures have been largely ineffective.

Like many countries with large areas of undeveloped land, the pressure to develop new areas is expanding in the Darien. This will most likely lead to increased colonization of the area by ranchers and farmers. Lumber companies are also looking to the area for economic opportunities. Also, added to this mix of competing interests are conservation organizations and developed countries applying pressure to protect pristine areas. And at the center of all these interests are the original inhabitants of the Darien, the Chocoe.

Reaction to Development

The Chocoe Indians are now reacting to this influx of developing forces which is slowly altering their culture. They are now in the middle of a cultural shift caused by encroaching development. No longer able to sustain themselves by traditional methods, they are turning to the only alternative currently available, cattle and crop farming. But this involves further destruction of habitat and provides no likely prospect of maintaining the strength of their culture. Many elders in Mogue are fearful of the loss of their culture and traditional lifestyle. But what is the best way to maintain ones heritage?

Preserving a Culture Through Strength

With development inevitably coming and considering the past record of native populations meeting such development, it seems that the best defense is a strong offense. If the Chocoe can become strong economically, they will have a much better chance of directing or influencing development, instead of only reacting to these pressures from a position of weakness. For any solution to have any long term success or impact it needs to address or alter the economic dynamic that is responsible for development. And who best to include in this process than the Chocoe. Any solution must also address the maintenance of the rich resource of the tropical forest, which is very important to the strength of Chocoe culture.

In spite of these perennial patterns, the PJF believes that development does not have to be exclusively destructive to indigenous cultures, and that preservation of culture is a result of community strength and health. What if Mogue was powerful enough to influence or drive development? How does Mogue become powerful?

Mogue is seeking for ways to take charge of their future. Part of this involves creating a long term plan for managing their land. The people of Mogue have for several months been working on a document which outlines their objectives regarding the land and animals. This document deals with profound issues which will ultimately determine the future health of the land. It defines the dynamic through which the Chocoe propose to maintain a healthy environment. In it they deal pragmatically and effectively with such issues as scarcity of flora and fauna, population growth, rain forest maintenance, reforestation, sustainable crafts production, and they do so with surprising wisdom. This plan when combined with economic and cultural strength will allow the Chocoe to steer development in healthy directions.

The impact of development on the village of Mogue can either be tragic or rewarding. The latter can most likely be secured only by meeting development from a position of economic strength and viability, competing with the same tools that are driving the forces of development. With strength and self determination, the preservation of Chocoe culture and heritage will become a far more likely outcome.

Specific Programs

Native Crafts for Progress: for the last decade, the PJF has purchased crafts from various villages in the Darien with the goal of generating community funds for important village projects. The crafts are resold in U.S. markets with 100% of the profits returned to the villages where they are used to improve local life. For example the village of Mogue chose to use some of the funds to purchase a rice mill which saved every woman in the village nearly an hour a day of hand milling.

Pajaro Jai Foundation Home Office: A basic tenet of the PJF is that opportunities and technologies must be intelligently introduced to remote regions in order to provide jobs which represent attractive alternatives to slash-and-burn agriculture. We are currently working with leaders of the Chocoe community in the Darien to establish a technologically sophisticated PJF office in their domain in order to underscore the feasibility of this approach.

Remote Graduate School: In keeping with the principle that it is healthier for societies to import processes than to export resources from remote regions, the PJF is currently talking to several major universities about the possibility of creating a remote graduate school which focuses on issues ideally dealt with remotely. These include: ecotourism, remote use of the internet, rainforest medicines, entomology, rainforest management, etc.

The PJF would support this initiative by seeking the support of local players who find the initiative in tune with their own mandates. Such group may include USAID, Smithsonian, the Peace Corps, and local groups such as Desarollo Sustenible del Darien. We would seek long-term benefits to the indigenous groups involving creation of infrastructure, educational support for their societies up to and including graduate degrees, and key roles for locals in the long-term programs.

Web initiatives: Satellite communications open a universe of possibilities that didn’t exist a mere decade ago. We intend to harness this marvelous technology, initially to help indigenous peoples eliminate the middleman for their products and services, including crafts and ecotourism, but ultimately to develop talents and capacities of great value in the world of this technology itself, skills which might include those necessary to create the networks and systems that increasingly drive international commerce and industry. These are skills that don’t depend for execution on physical location.

Connect the Children initiative: A pilot project which will link a first grade class in Down East Maine with a class in the rain forest town of Mogue using live video via satelite communications. The goal will be to enrich both sets of children with deeper understanding of each other's cultures, languages, and geography.