CULTURE OF PEOPLE OF SOUTHEASTERN PANAMA 17 



valley of the Cauca in Colombia. Toward the east their territory 

 extended to the mouths of the Atrato and Acarica rivers; to the 

 southwest to the Sambu River valley near the Gulf of San Miguel, 

 occupied by the Choco-Sambu tribes; toward the west the old 

 boundaries extended to the Chagres River on the Caribbean and the 

 Mountains of Chorrera on the Pacific slope of the isthmus. Thus 

 the western as well as the eastern boundary extended entirely across 

 the isthmus. Pinart erroneously speaks of the Cuna language as a 

 branch of the Carib linguistic stock, and seems to be unaware of 

 the cultural affiliation of the Cuna with the South American west 

 coast tribes, with the Maya of Yucatan and the old Cueva peoples 

 to the north (Cueva is an old Spanish term for Cuna). 



Andagoya refers to the Cueva (Cuna) language as being spoken 

 in the provinces of Comogre and Beruqueta, on Pearl Islands, about 

 the region surrounding the Gulf of Miguel, and in the province of 

 Coiba. 



The Choco Indians of the Sambu River valley, south Darien. are 

 related with the South American Choco Indians of the San Juan 

 and Atrato River valleys. They number about 500 individuals or 

 more but have intermarried to a great extent with the Panamanian 

 and Negro. The Choco stock, also known as the Noanama, or 

 Citarae, inhabit the valleys of the Choco and the Cauca and are 

 numerous in the Colombian states of Cauca, Boliviar, and Antiquia. 



In Bulletin 44 of the Bureau of American Ethnology, by Thomas 

 and Swanton, reference is made to the boundary line that separates 

 the South American languages from the linguistic stocks of North 

 America. It should be noted in this connection that as with many 

 other culture areas in North America linguistic boundaries do not 

 coincide with the general diffusion of culture traits, nor with physi- 

 cal characteristics. The factors contributing in this lack of a 

 parallel development of language and culture are often obscure, 

 due to the migration of tribal groups; often geographical influences 

 determine the food getting habits along with religious practices. In 

 general it may be said that material culture is much more flexible 

 than is linguistic change, so that a true ethnic boundary is more 

 often a linguistic boundary as well. This linguistic boundary line 

 is traced by Thomas and Swanton. 



" Beginning at the extreme northwestern corner of Honduras, 

 where it meets the bay, it runs thence southeast almost in a direct 

 line to the eastern end of Lake Nicaragua ; and thence in nearly the 

 same direction to the head of the Gulf of Dulce on the southern 

 coast of Costa Rica. This demarkation, allowing for the following 

 modification, is accepted : Carry the line from the east end, or near 

 the east end, of Lake Nicaragua almost directly south to the mouth 

 of the Gulf of Nicoya, the tribes east of this line — the Jicaque, Paya, 



