Bokota people

Bokota

Total population
993
Regions with significant populations
Panama (Bocas del Toro)
Languages
Bogota language
Religion
Traditional tribal religion
Related ethnic groups
Ngöbe Buglé by marriage

The Bokota people, also called Bogotá or Bugleres, are an Amerindian ethnical group in Panama. They live in Bocas del Toro and north of Veraguas. Bokota Indians live in the same region as the Teribe or Naso Indians.

As of 2000, there were 993 Bogota living in Panama. They are the smallest tribe in Panama and live in the west of the country.

Culture

They dedicate themselves to livestock, fishing and hunting. They still use weapons like bows and arrows and spears or fish nets. Men wear shirts of manta-sucia, while women dress similar to the Ngobes. They wear necklaces, facial paint of black and red, and shiny hair combs. They make hats of vegetable fibers, backpacks, baskets, and daily dresses called cobo. They live in round houses on stilts. They are monogamous, and the Bokotas have often intermarried with the Ngöbe Buglés. There are still fullblood families of Bokota. Many traditional ceremonies are maintained, including the ceremony of lightning, that prevents lightning from striking their houses.

Language

They speak the Bogota language, also called Buglere, which is one of the Chibchan languages.

See also

• Ngöbe–Buglé people