A A JOUR1EY UP TESAMBU RIVER TO VISIT TECHO0C6 INIANIS Arne Arbin Edited with an introduction by Donald S. Srshall and John H. Rowe INTRODUCTION In July of 1935 the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology,r Harvard University, purchased the maJor portion of a collection of Choco artifacts from Mr. Arne Arbln. The balance had previously been acquired by the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York. These specimens were collected earlier tn the same year from various groups of the Choco Indians living along the trlbutaries of the Sambu River In the Darien area of eastern Panama. At the request of Mr. Donald Scott then Director of the Peabody Musoum, Arbin later furnished the account of hls obeervations which !.e reproduoed on the following pages.* Relatively little Is known of Arbin and his work. Swedish by birth, he is known to have travelled extensively among tribes of the Americas. At the time he prepared the following acount he was readying an exped- ition to the Huichol Indians of the Sierra Madre, 1bxico. He had pre- viously mentioned a trip to Ecuador and one to Oklahoma. Arbin appar- ently travelled to satisfy his own iuterests. for the bibliographical files at Peabody Museum do not llt any publications by him, nor is he listed in the International Directory of Anthropologists (1950 edition). There is little indication that he had any specific background in anthro- pology. but his notes on specimens indicate that he was a good observer and relatively well educated. The eighty-five specimens purchased by the Museum are a good sample of the material culture of the Choo6. They are articles made for ordinary uee in daily life and ceremonial activity and are not souvenirs for the tourist trade. The ethnographical collection includes a bark beater and a specimen of bark cloth; black palm bows and specla- lized arrows for fishing and for hunting birds and animals; heavy spears used for hunting pigs and big game, as well as others for fishing; cooking utensils; carved calabashes used as food bowls and for drinking chicha; various magical figures and charms used in curing ceremonies * The manuscript of Arbin's report Is on file In the Peabody Museum under the X File number 33-56. The editors have taken the liberty of rewording a few of the most awkward English phrases where a slight change would make the text clearer without altering the sense. For the rest, the author's style has been conscientiously respeoted. We would like to express our appreciation to Dr. J. 0. Brew, Director of the.Peabody Museum, for authorizing publication of this manuscript. 79 and dances; carying and storage baskets; dolls and other toys for children; and contemporary pottery. For eeah of these objects the collector fur- nished information regarding the person from whon It was obtained. There Is also a small archaeological collection conalting of some sherds and a celt; site provenience is given for the archaeological specimns. Some of the objects are noteworthy. Some of the arrows have elab- orately designed points of hammered Iron, and Arbin states that the iron was secured from specific treade sourcee in Colombia. The Cuna of Darien, who are heighbors of the Choc6, generally use black palm wood rathier than iron for their 'arrow points. The archaeological specimens' are said to have come from the gromd and appea-r to be old. The celt is rather unu- sual. It is triangular in shape in contraEst to the petalloid form more usual in the region.' It is also ground- smoothly around the blade but the ta.ng is left rough, producing a type which is more characteristic of- western Panama than of Darien. Ethnographic data on the Ohocb were scanty in 1933 and are still so. The principal published soureeb available to Arbin were a book and four articles by ERland Nordensk6ld, who had visited the Sambi River and other parts of the Chocd territory In 1927, and a report on the Choc6 arrow poison, dnea4, by Santesaon.- These works are listed in the a.ccompanying bibliography, added by the editors. Arbin's manuscript contains no bibllographical references whatover. We have the impreselon from reading Arbin's report that he knew of at least one of Nordenslkiold's articles, probably-the one published in Ymer, and used it as a source for his statements about the divisions &nd distribution :of the Choco In his secp.nd paragraph. His occasional other remarks which parallel Norden- sokiold-.' are probably the result of indepedent observation of the same phenomena, however, Most of Arbin's account is obviously based on per- sonal observation and discussion with the Indiana. The technical remarks on arrow poison are taken, of course, from Santesson's article. Likw all travellers' accounts of native peoples, Arbin's work must be taken with some reserve. Some of his statements are rather naive and a few, like his statement that the interior Indians "live only by hunting and fishing," are probably mistaken. Ershall has heard the same story from an American gold prospector who has travelled in this area, but Nordenskiold noted no such change in subsistence in his account of the Sambd River and all other reliable information we have on the natives of Darien indicates that all of them depend on agriculture for subsistence. Possibly Arbin means merely that bananas are not grown in the interior. Arbiti's report is.not a major addition to our knowledge of Choco culture, either In quantity or 'quality. However, our knowledge of the Choco is still so' fragmntary that the chance to add even a few details to our meager store seems worth taking. The Choco are a notably friendly group, readily acoessible from Panam City and their culture presents many features of considerable theoretical interest. It is very knuch to be hoped that some properly trained anthropologist will follow the foot- steps of Nordenskf6ld and Wasesn and produce a report which will make the publication of further casual descriptions like Arbin's superfluous. BIBLIOGRAPHY Nordeanskiol, Erland 1927 "The Choco Indians of Colombia and Panama.` vol. 8, no. 95, pp. 347-350. London. 1928a Indianerna pa Pananaset. holm. 283 pp. Diecovery, Ahlen & Akerlunds Forlag, Stock- 1928b `Indianerna pa Panamna'set." Yxmr, vol. 48, nos. 1-2 pp. 85-110. Stockholm. 1928c "Les Indiens de l'sthe de Panama." 50, nos. 5-6, pp. 299-319. Paris. La GvogrUhte, vol. 1929 "Leo rapports entre l'art, la religion et la magie chez les Indiens Cuna et Choco." Journal do la Societe dos Amurican- istes> n. s., vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 141-158. Paris . Santesson, C. G. 1931 An Arrow Poison with Cardiac Effect from the Now World. Comparative Ethnographical Studies, vol. 9, pp. 155-187. Goteborg. Henry 'Notes on Southern Groups of Choco Indians Etnologiska Sttxuier, no. 1, pp. 35-182. _...- in Colombia." 'O. GoteborgB Wassen, 1935 ARBIN 'S REORT The location of this tribe Is the border territory between the Republic of Panama and the Republic of Colombia, in the area close to the coact of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding the river banks along almost all the small rivers running out into the San Miguel Bay and the Pacific Ocean. This tribe is divided into two families, or branches, the Empora Chocos and the Nonaii- Chocos. The majority of the Empera Choco Indians live in Darien) a province of the Republic of Panama. The Nonama Choco Indians have their homestead in the northwestern section of Colombia, in the vicinity of Rio San Juan. Som Indians belonging to the None Choco can be traced as far south as the Bahia del Choco near Buenaventura In Colombia. Our expedition started from Panama City the capital of Pana-ma. A countryman-of ours secured free transportation for us on a banana,boat to the small town of Garachine, situated near the mouth of the Sambu River. Here we obtained passage on a small launch which took us up the Sambui to a small Negro village. Sabalo, located opposite the mouth of the Rfo Sabalo, a small tributary to the Rfo Sambui. We hired a cayuco (canoe) from the Negroes and proceeded on our voyage up the main river, taking with us two Panamantan natives. After a hard day's journey we were very fortunate, for wo fell into the good graces of Fidel Gutnora, a tribal medicine-man, who preaches a cult akin to that of Coue. He brews herbs into medical potions and infuses kind spirits into wooden Idols and med- icine wands, which afterwards serve as a protection and remedy against evil spirits and sickness of all kinds caused by bad demons. These demons are called animara. The natives believe that these demons take up their abode in the body of an Indian and bring on various diseases. Most of this medicine-man's curative work seemed to be effected by self- hypnotism. although he prescribed various mixtures of strange herbs for some of his patients. Fidel Guinora, the medicine-man, was well educated from the exper- iences of other tribal medicine-men, whom he visited while learning. During this time he was, so to speak, a medicine candidate. During the course of this time he traveled alone, in a canoe, visiting many differ- ent rivers and studying many interesting remedies which were taught to him by "fellow-doctors," powerful medicine-men who lived here and there along the rivers in this region of the Central American jungles. It was before sunset one warm afternoon in the end of March, 1933, that we arrived at the large house of Fidel Guinora. It was placed only a hundred yards from the bank of the river and was between the Rfo Tigre and the Rfo Venado, both rivers tributaries of the Rio Sambu. The house was very strong and well-built and gave us the feeling that it was of careful workmanehip. At first we wore surprised to learn that the house was placed on high stilts but later wo learned that the Indians built in this way for two reasons: To have the floor high above the inse-ct and reptile covered surface of the earth; the second and most important reason was the river. When the rainy season Is at Its height the water level of the Rfo Sambu' rises, and at many places an Indian must step from hts house rlght into his canoe before he can reach the forest to go hunting for food. When entering the house we observed a large wooden bowl containing water. It was standing on the floor and olose to the ladder a deeply notched and decorated post which served as means of entrance from the ground. In the water bowl a calabash vessel floated around. Later we learned that the Indians used the bowl to wash the dust and dirt from their feet when enterin after they returned from any trip or hunt. We greeted the Indians cheerfully and they in turn Invited us to rest in their house. We gladly accepted their invitation. We entered and in--- slde found the family of Fidel Guinora. This included Guinora his wife his mother-in-law, his brother's daughter, his own two daughters, and his two eons. At the time of our visit there was another guest In Fidel Guin- ora's home. He was an Indian from the upper Rio Sambfi, a young. tall, agile fellow about twenty years old. He was very quiet, but very atten- tive when Guinora told us tales and gossip of the other Indlans from near and far. Later we learned that this young Indian was seeking Guinora's consent to marry his oldest daughter as she was of marriageable age (thirteen to fourteen). We watched this young couple closely to see If they showed any emotions toward each other. At last our curiosity was satisfied for when they were left alone the girl crept behind the boy and started to scratch his back. After a whtle she started to clean his hair of Insects. These actions we later learned are signs of great love. We found out that these Indians, like the Japaneee do not kiss. The Indians very seldom have more than one wifoe, but occasionally they take on two or three and they all live together in the same house. When a young Indian marries a girl he goes to live with her family until he builds a house for his wife. If she lives alone before he marries a girl he goes to live with her family until he builds a house for his wife. If she lives alone before he marries her, he moves in, and her house is then his home. If a married man should di.e hls wife immediately cuts off all of her hair. A respectable woman will cut off her hair at least three times. These Indians, especially in the central and upper part of Rio Sambt, are still hunting with bows and arrows. There are only a very few Indians on the lower Rio Samb& who have been able to buy shot-guns or rifles. The fish mostly with a kind of thin, long spear made of black palm-wood with a point of iron. This Iron they get as trade goods from the Choc6 Indtans living up in the mountains of Colombia. Their general food consists of rice fish, bananas, and different kinds of fruits as well as pork and the meat of the iguana lizard. The meat of this horrible looking lizard is nearly white and tastes like chicken. It really Is the very best kind of meat it Ls posesble to get in this jungle territory of the Isthmus of Panama. There are not many big ani- mals here in this section of Rio Samb1i, but higher up the rtver, at the foothills of the Cara Cara Mountains, there are many wild pigs, a few tigers (Jaguars) and some tapirs. According to the Indlans of the upper Rio Samb6i only one tapir has been shot in the last fifteen yeare. The meat of parrots and toucan birds is included in their general food. The Indians of the lower Rio SambC6 have large banana plantations but the Indians up the river do not cultivate land for the reason that the jungle up there Ls wilder, mking cultivation of banana plantations difficult, so they live only by hunting and fishtng. Chicha mascada (made from ground corn chewed by the virgins of the tribes and considered as a great delicacy, Its potent fermentatton serving as Inspiration for many wild dances whioh are aocompanied by the monoton- ous chant of the tribes at their tribal festivale, the barbaric character of which Is enhanced by the rhythmic beat of the tambura or tom-tom and water are the only drinks of these Indians. C-hicha is not drunk at meal- time but is drunk several times a day between meals, being a very delect- able beverage. The grinding of corn to make chicha is accompanied by a series of ceremonios especially when making chtcha for the more impor- tant tribal festivals. The bigger stone used for thts purpose Is placed in the middle of the house upon two large piecos of balsawood which are palnted wlth zig-zag designs or sometimes carvod out to represent the shape of some animal, as snakes or alligators. Always the midens of the tribe do the work of producing the chicha. On 'the floor is first place( palm leaves and on top of these leaves two pi.eces of balsa-wood anrd upon them the big stone for the grinding. Over the grtnding stone EtLcks of balsa-wood, and palm leaves Is built a four posted balsa-wood scaffold or platform seven feet high with one or two shelves or decks. Usually on the first sholf arc plaoed good luck charms In waich, the Indians believe, frtendly spirits have taken their abode. These charms are usually balsa- wood sttcks handsomely carved to represent various objects. On tho four posts of the scaffold are painted, in black patnt made from herbs of the jungle, destgns representing the bad sptrits, or animara, the native name for those evil spirits. The actual making of chicha among the Choc6 Indians always first begins with tho sprinkling of clean spring water in a circle around the stone and then two young maidens of the tribe start to dance in the very same circle around the grtnding stone. They dance in sLngle filo, the second girl placing her hands on the shoulders of the ftrat and both danctng in unison in sort ofAangaroo jumps, first to the front and then to the left so that they face the stone` and always movtng counterclock- wise, that Is, dancing to the left always, wlth thelr knees well bent and close together. They continue the dance In sillence for about four or five minutes and then they stop and they both sweep the floor around the stone with palm leaves In thelr handls before starttng the regular grindtng. Aftor the grtnd ing the proceed with the same spectacular dance for exactly the same period of time and then after the dance they once again sprtnkle spring water around the stone and the final act of the ceremony Is to cover the stone wtth palm leaves. They rest until the next morntng when they begin to chew or masttcate the corn and spit it In a btg calabash vessel and later it is transferred to a largo pottery bowl where it remains for several weeks to become a genuine alcoholic beverage. A calabash vessel full of chtcha is vary refreshing and stimulating after a fishing or huntlng trip. It looks very much like soup oven to the grease that can be seen on the surfacu. Upon close tnepection it can be seen that there is a small insect tn the center of each drop of grease floating on the surface. Evidently these insects are placod in the "beer" to givo It a more exclusive taste. This, My seem peculiar but there are many tribes down in South Amerecan who oat caterpillars for dessert and to whom they aro a. great delicacy. Many of the Chec6 Indians' food dishes have to be fried In oil or some kind of grease. For this purpose they use the nuts from the ousi palm (Orbignya phalerata) from which, by means of two stones they press the oll out. This oil they use for the care of their hair and the medt- cine man uses the oil when he gives massages to any of his pattents. Se also uses it, mixed with some herbs, as medicine. These herbs are first boiled In thts cust palm oil before they, are mixed wtth the oil for medi.- cinal purposes. In the jungle territory of the upper Rfo Samba the Indians use five or six dlfferent kinds of arrows. One of these is the fishing arrow, used for fishing or harpooning, with four, five, or six points. These points are made of black palm-wood. This arrow is called Chahuluhulu, with Span- ish pronunciatton of all the u's. There are three or four kinds of war arrows some of whtch are also used for hunting bigger animals. One of these war arrows has a series of points turning backwards in the manner of fish hooks placed one after the other to prevent pulltng it out of the flesh. This arrow Is called chakeeda. Another war or hunting arrow has the above mentioned barbe only on one side. This arrow Is the chakeediaba. Another arrow Is the occocha or chaocco, as some Indians call it, which means "poisoned arrow7a is nearly as thin as a match, two or two and a quarter feet in length, with a very sharp poisoned point. This arrow is used for the occo or blowgun used by the Choco Indians higher up the river. There is still another arrow used for hunting birds whtch has a rounded, dull point made of hard wood sometimes in the shape of a ball and sometimes in other shapes. The blowgun is called occo and has a length of about nine feet. The Choco Indians are specially noted for their splendid blowgums, which cannot be duplicated or excelled by any other tribe. The poison used in arrows is the sap of the pacuru-neara tree. This sap is concentrated and elaborated into a deadly polson 'called bakroniana sic; should read p;akurin - eds.7 which seeps through and reaches the heart. It is the first heart poison ever discovered among the American Indians. It Is similar to a well known poison by the name of antiarin. The men rather than the women of these tribes wear the most ornaments. Some of theee are heavy silver bracelets. Some necklaces or neck adorn- ments are made of genuine Colombian silver and others are made of beads and the teeth of monkeyss jaguars, and other animals. The most spectac- ular of these necklaces is one made of live fireflies and is worn at cer- tamn tribal festivals held at night. The Chocos of the Docordo River are the only ones who wear nose rings and these are made of pure silver. The holes In the nose for these rings are made when a youngster Is two to four years old, In a few instances when he is older. Only the men wear the nose rings. The women never do. Some of the men also wear earrings made of some kind of wood and In many casee these are covered with silver plates or other silver ornaments. Even some of the young boys of about seven or eight years of age wear heavy earrings of wood covered with big silver plates. It is only when they have feasts or festivals that these Indians use all their ornaments. 85 To count and add the Choco Indians use a small string upon which they make knots and indicate the sum by help of the fingers on both hands, and if there are more knots than they have fingers they continue to count on the toes. When they reach twenty they put a small stone upon the ground in front of them and proceed to add the stones, each stone representing an amunt of twenty. Their almanac or calendar Is of the very samn pro- cedure. Each day the house father or head of the family makes a knot on a string, making a double knot when the week is gone. The next term is sixty days, indicated by two single knots olose together. The Chocos have two kinds of tom-toms or tamburas. This word tambura was borrowed from the old Spanish language in post-Columbian times. They use their fingers to beat on them. They have still another heavier type of tom-tom carved in wood in the shapo of a canoe, and it is the opinion of the writer that the Choco Indians in the past have, bean using thelr old canoes as tom-tome for making signals to other India-go living far away. This latter type of tom-tom is In use among the Chocos of the Docord6 River. They use two wooden clubs to beat these with. They.use one club for the inner side and one for the outer side of the tom-tom. When there t1 an earthquake the Indians dance around and beat loudly on the tom-tom. The hid that covers the smaller tambura at one end is sometimes pig-skin and sometimes buck-skin, and even snake-skin has been used for that purpose a few times. ---The Choc6 Irdians are very fond of rmusic. They can sit entranced for several hours listening to music, during which period they are absolutely silent, and if you should talk to them or ask one of them a question he would not listen to you while the ic Is going on. These Indians keep themselves clean and their homes very neat. They are In many ways far different than the Negroes of Panama, who don't care much about cleanliness or their homes. The wooden floors of the houses of the Indians are always kept scrubbed by the women, who use a kind of vegetable compound which gives out a pleasant fragrance. They are very hospitable towards the white man, if he in his manner treats them in the right way, but they hate the Negro or the mulatto. Only the sons of a medicine man can become medicine men. When the novice is about to assume his title, after thorough instruction from the medicine man, the last test his teacher. gives him is a nerve test to see if he has strong nerves, an Important requisite to become a medicine man. Upon the head of the candidato is placed a crown made of twigs (resembling a bottomless basket) and covered with soot, because the Indians believe that soot is stronger than fire, A poisonous snake is then brought forth and shown to the candidate who is then told that the snake will be placed on his head. The crown keeps the snake from crawling or sliding off. He is forced to sit for several minutes with the snake resting on his head, but he is not informed that the fangs have been removed from the snake so his reaction to this seeming danger is watched closely to determine the manner of medicine man that he will make. 86 On the night following the test they hold a big feast enlivened with monotonous music and chanting during which they dri'nk chicha all night through. As they dance they carry unique lamps made by using the white, transparent bill of a toucan bird for a lantern and liveo fireflies in the lantern for light. The native nae for the toucan bird is tangra. Each second hour they refill their lamps with a new collection of fireflies so that the light of these lamps shines brightly instead of dimmtng as the night wears on. At this festival all the male Indians paint their faces and necks with a kind of black color, toning In blue, taken from a herb in the jungle. This herb is called &ni. During such a fiesta the Indians wear all their ornaments, adornmnts, etc. The candidate wears, In addition to all his other ornaments, a crown made of balsa-wood and painted with symbolic designs. This orown has points all arourd it shaped like feathers. At the tip of each of these points is placed a beautiful red flower. The crown le painted In a brown red and then covered with a thin layer of soot. When an Indian is ailing he Is placed in a small house, 3 x 3 x 6 feet, made of balsa-wood and built on the floor of the medicine man's home. This small house is also painted all over with designs represent- ing kindly spirits. In this smll house is jplaced a bed made of palm leaves. The medicine man places the patient in the small balsa-wood house at sunset. From sunset until midnight the sufferer is forbidden to talk. During the time from sunset until midnight the medicine man prepares himself for the cure, which means to fight off the animara or evil spirit that, as these Indians believe, has taken abode In the body of the sick man. The medicine man has to drive this evil spirit away and out of the body of the patient. How the medicine man prepares himself for the cure is something that hae never been divulged to any white man. The Cuna Cunra Indians of the Atlantic side of the Isthmus have a directly oppo- site belief. When one of them is ill or suffering any disease, according to one of their best known medicine men, the Cura Cunas believe that a powerful evil spirit has stolen away the soul of the sick Indian and it is the duty of thelr medicine mn to send out one or two friendly spirits to locate, captil.e, and carry back the soul to the medicine man, who in turn finishes the cure by transferring the soul back to the body of the patient. At exactly midnight the Chood medicine man is ready to start his curative work. First he drinks several calabash vessels full of chicpt. to get the eerie and hypnotic spirit. In some cases he may be in great need of this synthetic strength to be able to administer the remedy to the patient. After drinking the chicha he starts to dance around the small house singing strange songs, sometimes In a special guttural dia- lect that the other Indians do not understand a word of. He dances all night long with his medicine stick or wand in his hand. Some medicine men have sticks for special kinds, of sicknesses while some have only one for curlng every kind of sickness. If his patient doos not annomce him- self cured from his Illness by the next moruing the medicine man will, during the day, give him eome kind of medicine made from roots or herbs secured in the jungle by the wife or daughters of the medicine man. 87 If the patient is still suffering from his disease at sundown of the second day the medicine man continues his dance another night. Once a Choc6 medicine man had been trying to cure an Indian who was very sick. When the sick man died, he explained to the relatives of the dead man that a powerful evil spirtt had killed the man before the medi- cine man had time to get Into action. 88