ETHNOLOGICAL RESEARCHES IN PANAMA AND 

 EASTERN ECUADOR 



By M. W. STIRLING 

 Chief, Bureau of American Ethnology 



In September, 1931, the writer sailed as a guest of the Latin 

 American Expedition to South America. The first objective was 

 Panama, where, in company with John Verrill, the writer spent a 

 month among the Tule Indians of the San Bias coast. The publicity 

 given to the existence among them of white Indians — in reality al- 

 binos — has obscured the greater value of their interesting ethnology, 

 which has changed but little after 400 years of contact with Euro- 

 peans. Villages of the Tule Indians are scattered for 200 miles along 

 the small, low islands in the Gulf of San Bias. The houses, built with 

 cane walls and palm-thatched roofs, are sometimes constructed so 

 close together that to go through the town it is necessary to pass 

 through the houses. During their centuries of white contact, the 

 Tule have remained a remarkably homogeneous and independent 

 people. They do not welcome visits from white people and are par- 

 ticularly anxious that Europeans should not obtain a foothold in their 

 territory. Because of this conservatism, there has been little admixture 

 of foreign blood with these Indians. 



The costumes of the Tule women are colorful and characteristic. 

 They fabricate blouses decorated with a peculiar variety of applique 

 work in many bright colors. On their heads they wear red calico 

 mantas which flow across the shoulders ; and the costume is com- 

 pleted by wrappers or skirts of blue and white calico print. Large 

 gold-plated disks are suspended from the ears, and gold-plated nose 

 rings are worn by all the women. The cheeks are painted red, and a 

 blue line is drawn along the full length of the bridge of the nose. 



Shamanism is developed to a high degree and there are many dif- 

 ferent classes of practicing medicine men. The Tule Indians have 

 given an excellent demonstration of the ability of American Indian 

 tribes to maintain a highly satisfactory native culture when permitted 

 to remain relatively free from European influences. 



From Panama the writer accompanied the expedition to eastern 

 Ecuador, where, from December 22, 1931, to March 15, 1932, his time 

 was spent among the Jivaro Indians of the Santiago-Marahon basin. 

 Leaving Cuenca in the region of the high Andes, the party proceeded 

 to the frontier post of Mendez where the first Jivaro Indians were 



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