About the Book:Brightly colored and intricately designed, molas have become popular with buyers across the United States, Europe, and Japan, many of whom have never heard of the San Blas Kuna of Panama who make the fabric pictures that adorn the clothing, wall hangings, and other goods we buy. In this study, Karin Tice explores the impact of the commercialization of mola production on Kuna society, one of the most important, yet least studied, social changes to occur in San Blas in this century. She argues that far from being a cohesive force, commercialization has resulted in social differentiation between the genders and among Kuna women residing in different parts of the region. She also situates this political economic history within a larger global context of international trade, political intrigue, and ethnic tourism to offer insights concerning commercial craft production that apply far beyond the Kuna case. These findings, based on extensive ethnographic field research, constitute important reading for scholars and students of anthropology, womens studies, and economics. They also offer an indigenous perspective on the twentieth-century version of Columbuss landingthe arrival of a cruise ship bearing wealthy, souvenir-seeking tourists.Table of Contents: Acknowledgments1. Introduction2. Theoretical Framework3. Traveling to San Blas4. Political Economy of San Blas5. Mola Commercialization6. Mola Production, Exchange, and Use7. Kuna Women Organize8. Tourism and Molas on Carti-Sugtupu9. The Mola Cooperative on Tupile10. Molas and Middlemen in Mansucun: A Discussion of Female-supported Households11. Insights from San Blas: Crafts, Gender, and the Global EconomyAppendix: Methodology NotesGlossary of Kuna and Spanish TermsReferencesIndex