Paper short abstract:

This paper investigates recent changes to the representation of indigenous Embera tradition as these are realised through cultural presentations regularly performed for tourists in Parara Puru, a community of Embera tourism professionals in Panama.

Paper long abstract:

In many respects Parara Puru is a typical Embera community: it is build in the rainforest, next to a river, it has a school (the only visible state institution in the community), and thatched roofed houses on stilts. However, unlike most other Embera communities in Panama, Parara Puru receives regular visits from groups of international tourists, and its inhabitants, unlike the Embera in non-touristic communities, enact, with remarkable consistency, an increasing number of Embera cultural traditions.

This paper investigates a number of transformations in the representation of indigenous (Embera) tradition as these become apparent in the cultural presentations performed for the tourists in Parara Puru, a community of Embera tourism professionals. Within the safety of their immediate community, the inhabitants of Parara Puru become authors of their cultural performances and celebrate their indigenous identity with artistry and respect, exploring new routes to cultural authenticity. They are also in a position to make a relatively comfortable living without having to leave their community, migrate to the city, and compromise their Embera identity through assimilation into the surrounding Ladino culture and society. Adopting a non-essentialist approach to the notion of cultural authenticity, I explore (a) the opportunities offered by tourism for transmitting indigenous culture to the next generation, (b) the possibility of obtaining knowledge about 'authentic' Embera practices through tourist performances, and (c) the new visibility of Embera culture realised through the tourism encounter.