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Indigenous reservations in the south Pacific |
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The Southern Pacific region is home to several indigenous groups: the Cabécares, Guaymies and Borucas. Though the Ujarrás, Salitre, Cabagra, Boruca, Térraba, Limoncito de Coto Brus, Abrojos Montezuma, Conte Burica and Península de Osa reservations may also be visited, few of these indigenous groups preserve many of their old traditions.
Found in the Buenos Aires canton, Puntarenas province, in Térraba and other hamlets in the Boruca-Térraba Reservation, these indigenous people have similar agricultural and domestic practices and wear similar clothing as the area’s other country folk, and acquire what they need in the local store. Currently they live in houses made of precut wood and zinc roofs. This group is very small and has almost lost its language, which in general is now spoken only by the very old. Handicrafts fashioned by this group include wooden masks made of balsa or cedar. They also make large, beautiful baskets, called javas, triangular at the bottom and round at the top, out of a type of bejuco (a kind of liana) called hombre grande. Musical instruments such as drums, maracas and flutes are fashioned as well. In Boruca and Rey Curré, visitors can acquire handicrafts fashioned using traditional techniques and enjoy traditional dances such as Danza de los Diablitos and Danza de los Negritos La Fiesta de los Diablitos: Representing the fight to the death against the Spanish culture invading indigenous territories, this festival displays indigenous traditions, customs and beliefs. The tradition dates back to colonial times and has been handed down orally from generation to generation. Two central characters appear in the festival: the bull, representing the Spanish, and the devils, representing the indigenous. The devils have their own hierarchy. There are greater devils and lesser devils (men dressed as women). Accompaniment includes a flautist, drummer, guitarist, violinist and accordionist. Greater devils are responsible for order and discipline. Costumes used in the dance are very simple: a burlap-sack frock and a balsa or cedar mask. The masks used in the festival are generally fashioned by the devils. Some decorate them with natural dyes and paint mustaches or beards on them. The bull has a carved cedar head, glass eyes and real bull horns. The festival lasts three days; however, preparations begin December 28 in Boruca. The event starts on December 30 and ends January 2 with the slaying of a bull in the center of the village. Afterwards the meat of the animal is sold to anyone wanting to buy it. La Fiesta de los Negritos: Another important activity that takes place from December 6 to 8, this event’s preparations are similar to those of the Fiesta de los Diablitos. Participants paint their faces with soot (coal), but use no special costume. A greater devil leads the event. In Boruca, they play with a carved wooden bull and colt, while in Térraba they use a cow and filly. Guaymí Indigenous Group. Until just a few years ago, this indigenous group was semi-nomadic. They are mainly found in Villa Palacio de Brusmalis en Coto Brus, on the banks of the Río Limoncito, Alto Conte, Península Burica, Bajo de los Reyes, Abrojo and San Miguel de Ciudad Neily. Their homes generally consist of two structures: one with a straw roof, usually for cooking, and the other with a zinc roof and walls of palm or wild cane, where the family lives and goes about their daily activities. Their beds are platforms nailed to the walls of the house. The Guaymi use bags known as chácaras, which are woven in all sizes using materials such as nylon, pita fiber and bark. Handiworks fashioned include necklaces made of plastic beads in red, white, blue, yellow and black, called nuñungas. The Guaymi are also skilled at making drums, maracas and flutes. The double drumheads are made of peccary or armadillo hides, and the wood used to make the drums is mainly balsa or cedar. BORUCA INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY MUSEUM This building evokes the typical ranches used by the Boruca as traditional homes, of which very few remain in the region. The meeting place for the artisans’ committee, it is also used as a craft workshop for training and reviving the community’s traditional activities. The natural techniques and dyes used to fashion handicrafts are exhibited, and are examples of an important occupation and indigenous tradition. TÉRRABA INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY MUSEUM This museum is part of the Térraba Culture Center, made up of the House of Indigenous Health, the Cultural Ranch, Medicinal Plants Cultivation and the Indigenous Community Museum. Exhibited items include an old stove and bed, bows, arrows and other implements that are part of the Térraba indigenous community’s history. SAN VITO, COTO BRUS
San Vito is the seat of Coto Brus,
one of the country’s newest cantons. In 1951, the Italian
Agricultural Colonization Society (SICA) established an
agreement with the Costa Rican government by which an Italian
colony would be founded to develop the region. The process has
been so rapid that today San Vito is a booming city offering
various commercial, health and tourism services. It has two
interesting communities: Sabalito, on the border with Panama,
and Agua Buena. Coffee is a product par excellence of the
region.
Our Lifestyle Real Estate Tours can include some indigenous villages
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