Ethnobotany, Economics, and Cultural Significance of Traditional Hat Making in Two Districts of Central Panama
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Michigan Technological University Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports 2016 ETHNOBOTANY, ECONOMICS, AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF TRADITIONAL HAT MAKING IN TWO DISTRICTS OF CENTRAL PANAMA Sam Clair Michigan Technological University, [email protected] Copyright 2016 Sam Clair Recommended Citation Clair, Sam, "ETHNOBOTANY, ECONOMICS, AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF TRADITIONAL HAT MAKING IN TWO DISTRICTS OF CENTRAL PANAMA", Open Access Master's Thesis, Michigan Technological University, 2016. https://doi.org/10.37099/mtu.dc.etdr/232 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/etdr ETHNOBOTANY, ECONOMICS, AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF TRADITIONAL HAT MAKING IN TWO DISTRICTS OF CENTRAL PANAMA By Samuel J. Clair A THESIS Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE In Forestry MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY 2016 © 2016 Samuel J. Clair This thesis has been approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Forestry. School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Thesis Advisor: Dr. Molly Cavaleri Committee Member: Dr. Blair Orr Committee Member: Dr. Audrey Mayer School Dean: Dr. Terry Sharik TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................ vii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................. viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 1 Hat Making in Latin America .................................................................................................... 1 Plant Accessibility and Economics of Hat Making ................................................................... 3 CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND, OBJECTIVES, AND STUDY QUESTIONS ....................... 5 The Geographic Setting: Panama .............................................................................................. 5 Study Objectives .......................................................................................................................... 8 Study Questions ........................................................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER 3: METHODS ............................................................................................................ 9 Study Sites ................................................................................................................................... 9 Participant Observation ............................................................................................................ 12 Interviews .................................................................................................................................. 13 Obstacles .................................................................................................................................... 14 Analysis ..................................................................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS ............................................................................................................ 15 Hat Making in the District of La Pintada ................................................................................ 15 Hat Making in the District of Capira ....................................................................................... 18 Plants Used in Hat Making ...................................................................................................... 19 Carludovica palmata Ruiz & Pav ........................................................................................ 19 Astrocaryum standleyanum L.H. Bailey .............................................................................. 21 Furcraea cabuya Trel. and Aechmea magdalenae André ex Baker ................................. 23 Arrabidaea chica (Humb. & Bonpl. Verl. ........................................................................... 24 Cyperus spp. .......................................................................................................................... 26 Demography of Interviewees .................................................................................................... 28 Management of Fiber: Capira .................................................................................................. 30 iii Management of Fiber: La Pintada ........................................................................................... 31 Processing and Weaving of Fiber ............................................................................................ 34 Fiber Prices ............................................................................................................................... 36 Sombrero Prices ........................................................................................................................ 37 How Vueltas Determine Sombrero Prices ................................................................................ 37 ................................................................................................................................................... 40 Sombrero Prices Between Districts .......................................................................................... 40 Intermediary Prices Compared to Direct Prices ...................................................................... 45 National Sombrero Market ....................................................................................................... 47 CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION ...................................................................................................... 48 The Availability of Fiber in Relation to the Hat Market ......................................................... 48 Improved Management of Fiber and Its Benefits to Weavers and Processors ....................... 50 Variation in fiber and sombrero pricing by time, district, gender, age, and buyer ................ 52 Artisan culture and government outreach ............................................................................... 57 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................ 61 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 63 TABLES AND FIGURES ........................................................................................................... 67 APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................... 79 Documentation that Figure 1 map is in the public domain .................................................... 79 APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................................... 80 Approval for Conducting Research in the Republic of Panama ................................................. 80 APPENDIX C ............................................................................................................................... 83 Interview Questions................................................................................................................... 83 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Location of Panama in Central America and the Provinces of Panama. ......................... 7 Figure 2. Road leading into Las Claras Arriba, Capira. ................................................................ 10 Figure 3. Example of dwellings in Las Claras Arriba. .................................................................. 11 Figure 4. Components of a Sombrero Pintado. ............................................................................. 16 Figure 5. Braided C. palmata that is used for vueltas. .................................................................. 17 Figure 8. Harvested leaves of C. palmata. .................................................................................... 21 Figure 7. Fiber processor in La Pintada standing with his plantings of C. palmata. ..................... 21 Figure 9. Leaf of Aechmea magdalenae. ...................................................................................... 23 Figure 10. Furcraea cabuya growing in La Pintada. ..................................................................... 24 Figure 12. Leaves of Arrabidaea chica. ........................................................................................ 25 Figure 11. Mortar and pestle used for threshing rice or crushing ................................................. 25 Figure 13. Cyperus spp. growing in La Pintada. ........................................................................... 26 Figure 14. Age classes and gender of weavers interviewed for this study from La Pintada (A) and Capira (B). ..................................................................................................................................... 29 Figure 15. C. palmata seedlings (left image)