CULTURE OF PEOPLE OF SOUTHEASTERN PANAMA 23 



Place names of the island villages along the San Bias coast are 

 in part Spanish and part Indian. There are noticeably no terms 

 with the ending "agua," a suffix to place names that is quite common 

 to the north of Darien in such terms as Veraguas, Nicaragua, Mana- 

 gua, etc. 



Each of the widely dispersed habitation groups among the Tule 

 are under the control of a chief or " cacique," with the " lele " as 

 second in command, succeeded in turn by the " comotoro " and 

 " urumia." The lele is the magician and healer, the comotoro is the 

 official musician appointed by the chief, having charge of the dances 

 and ceremonies; the urumia is a policeman, or rather the chief's 

 messenger. He must also keep strangers away from the village and 

 warn the inhabitants of the approach of danger. The policeman is 

 a general utility man, notifying the village population concerning 

 meetings called by the chief, also to announce the approach of a 

 wedding or other ceremonies. Other functionaries are the assistant 

 musicians and the official chicha taster who supervises the making 

 of the beverages to be consumed at weddings and harvest celebra- 

 tions. 



In the towns and villages along the San Bias coast, especially in 

 such settlements as Alligandi, which is the political center of a 

 strong combination of Indian villages under the rule of an " over 

 chieftain," all female members of all living generations of a family, 

 together with their husbands and children live in the same house. 

 Harris says in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology that 

 women hold a high position in Tule society being considered the 

 foundation of the family and consequently, tribal life. When a 

 young man is married he can not be said to " take a wife " for the 

 girl " takes the husband," though not without his consent and that 

 of the family. Upon marriage the young man leaves his mother's 

 house and goes to live in his wife's family's household. This holds 

 true for the husbands of all the daughters of a household, the grand- 

 daughters, and even the great granddaughters, in case there are any 

 with husbands. Furthermore, as a rule, the male members of the line 

 marry within the village. Tule Indians consider first cousins as 

 brothers and sisters ; uncles and aunts are often called fathers. Hus- 

 bands are invariably kind to their wives. 



Immediately upon marriage, the groom is ordered by the father- 

 in-law to chop some hardwood in the forest. This he does and brings 

 it back to his new home, which is with the relatives of his wife. His 

 tasks outside the home are regulated by the father-in-law, while in- 

 side the house he takes his orders from the bride's maternal parents. 

 The " lady of the house " always receives first consideration when 

 gifts are distributed. If he is unwilling to abide with this arrange- 



