EMBERA DARI'EN BASKET ART

Emberá and Wounaan women in Panama’s Darién rainforest weave exquisitely fine baskets from chunga palm fibers and dye them with natural pigments to depict jaguars, rainforest plants, and geometric sapirit patterns. These baskets, some taking months to complete, represent an inclusive Isthmian heritage art—transforming humble palm strands into arguably the Western Hemisphere’s most intricate basketry, each a tribute to jungle life and Indigenous perseverance.