ABSTRACT
Three processes characterized the changing pattern of stratification across the region: the emergence of ethnicity as a significant factor in the political struggles, the expanded authority of the Bayano Corporation, and the growth of a regional elite. The region-wide changes in the stratification pattern indicated increased polarization of wealth as a few were able to take advantage of the development projects while most suffered the loss of land and means of livelihood. The emergence of ethnicity as a force in regional politics cannot be pinpointed to any specific date nor attributed to one single event. Rather it seemed to be the result of a complex set of factors, including government Indian policy, interactions between the Indians and government officials, and post-dam events that influenced political and economic change. The political manipulation of ethnic identity among the Kuna took the form of increased expressions of traditional customs as a positive force to outsiders.
