Who Are the Naso?
The Naso (also Teribe, Tjër Di, or Naso Tjërdi) are an indigenous people of northwestern Panama, inhabiting the valleys of the Teribe and San San rivers in Bocas del Toro Province near the Costa Rican border. Numbering approximately 4,000-5,000, they are Panama's smallest indigenous group. They speak Naso, a Chibchan language also called Teribe. The Naso are remarkable for maintaining a hereditary monarchy—the only indigenous kingdom in the Americas to survive into the 21st century. Their king (Tjër Di) holds spiritual and political authority, though power struggles and succession disputes have complicated modern governance.
The Naso Monarchy
The Naso monarchy is unique in the Americas—an indigenous kingship that survived colonization, independence, and modernization. The king holds authority derived from traditional beliefs connecting him to supernatural powers and ancestral legitimacy. Succession traditionally followed patrilineal descent, though the precise rules have been contested. In 2004, King Tito Santana was deposed by community assembly for supporting a controversial hydroelectric project; his nephew ValentĂn Santana became king, later succeeded by Reynaldo Santana. These succession struggles reflect tensions between traditional authority and modern democratic norms, between development and conservation. The monarchy provides cultural continuity and international attention but has proven vulnerable to manipulation by outside interests.
Land Rights Struggle
Despite their unique monarchy, the Naso are the only Panamanian indigenous group without a legally recognized comarca (autonomous territory). Decades of advocacy have failed to achieve formal territorial recognition. In 2020, Panama's National Assembly approved a Naso Tjër Di Comarca, but implementation has stalled amid disputes over boundaries and governance. Meanwhile, the Bonyic hydroelectric dam was built on Naso lands despite community opposition, flooding sacred sites and displacing families. The dam controversy split the community, with some leaders accepting compensation while others continued resistance. Cattle ranchers and banana plantations have encroached on traditional lands. The Naso struggle illustrates how even symbolically significant indigenous peoples can be marginalized when lacking formal legal recognition.
Contemporary Naso
Modern Naso communities maintain traditional practices including agriculture (cacao, banana, root crops), fishing, and forest use, while increasingly engaging with the cash economy. Ecotourism has developed around the rainforest environment and unique cultural heritage. Young people often seek education and employment outside the territory, creating generational shifts. The Naso language remains spoken but faces pressure from Spanish. Cultural revitalization efforts preserve oral traditions, ceremonies, and crafts. Environmental advocacy has connected Naso leaders to international indigenous networks. The monarchy continues providing cultural focus even as its political role evolves. The Naso represent how small indigenous peoples maintain distinctive identity—including unique institutions like their monarchy—while struggling for the territorial recognition that larger groups have achieved.
References
- Gordon, B. L. (1982). A Panama Forest and Shore
- Villagra, J. (2005). La MonarquĂa Naso: Un Caso Ăšnico en las AmĂ©ricas
- Cultural Survival. (2020). Naso Tjër Di: The Fight for a Comarca