Indigenous peoples in Panama account for 10% of the population, with 285,231 people having identified themselves as indigenous in the 2000 National Census. Panama’s seven indigenous groups are the Ngobe, Bugle, Kuna, Embera, Wounan, Bribri and Naso. The Ngobe account for 59.3% of the indigenous population, followed by the Kuna, accounting for 21.6%.
Panama has five indigenous regions, representing 20% of the national territory: the Ngobe-bugle and Campesino region, the Kuna Yalar region, the Embera-Wounan region, the Kuna de Madugandi region and the Kuna de Wargandi region.
In its legislation, the Panamanian State has recognised the rights of indigenous peoples by incorporating the system of indigenous regions with an autonomous administrative system; the Traditional Knowledge Act was passed and institutions for intercultural bilingual education have been created. These regulations and public policies are an effort to improve relations between indigenous peoples and the State.
However, one still unresolved issue is the indigenous peoples’ demand that the State ratify ILO Convention No. 169. Some of the matters that need to be discussed in constructive dialogue between the indigenous peoples and the Panamanian government include: violation of territory and the legal uncertainty of their lands, which are being threatened by the construction of hydroelectric projects and the invasion of colonists; illiteracy; lack of access to public services; indigenous child labour; lack of representation of indigenous peoples in the adoption of public policies; and the need to create a region for indigenous peoples who do not have a special system, such as the Naso and Bribri.