The state of Panama is located on the isthmus between Central and South America. And off the coast of Panama there is an archipelago of hundreds of picturesque islets of coral reefs called San Blas Icelands.
The sun always shines here, the water is crystal clear, and the sand is snow-white, so it is not surprising that many people come here for ecotourism.
These islands are home to the indigenous Kuna Indian people with their own culture, and the most surprising detail is the unusually high albino percentage among these brown-skinned people. To this day, it is not known why this happens.
Before the arrival of Columbus' ships and the subsequent stream of white settlers, the kuna lived in the mountains, and then left for the islands. For a long time they were considered primitive savages, and they also practiced black magic and tried to stay away from everyone.
Only relatively recently did scientists learn that there are an incredibly large number of albinos among the coon. And among the kuna themselves, these people were once considered damned. It was said that they were born white because their mothers looked at the moon during pregnancy.
Because of this, local albinos are called Children of the Moon and in ancient times they were considered something like lepers. They tried to stay away from them.
Promotional video:
Albinos already had enough problems. Their skin burns easily in the hot sun, so most of the day they sit in huts, leaving only in the evening. Also, their light and sensitive skin attracts more insects and scratches take longer to heal.
In addition, they often have eye problems, including blindness, and they are always thinner and weaker than ordinary people.
Even in our enlightened times, albinos of the Coon have a hard time, it is more difficult for them to find a partner, and in past centuries, it was strictly forbidden for normal people to marry or marry an albino.
For fear of giving birth to Luna's baby, pregnant mothers often resorted to home remedies such as consuming more charcoal to “repaint” the baby to its normal color. There were also frequent abortions among mothers who were sure that their child would be born albino.
Despite the rejection, the albinos had kuna and privileges, for example, they were considered closer to the spirit world, as well as less cruel and almost sinless. They were also considered to be closer to the Gods and therefore played an important role during religious ceremonies.
For example, during lunar eclipses, they shot their bows into the sky to prevent the giant dragon from absorbing the moon.
From a medical point of view, the mystery of the albino coon remains unsolved. Doctors do not know why so many of them are born on these islands and whether this is due to some special diet, water or something else.