Christine here! As a follow up from our post two weeks ago, What does cultural preservation mean to a Maya weaver? Today, I wanted to discuss the complexities of cultural preservation and the devaluation of handmade work. This is of course a very complicated topic, and to some extent is subjective. However I will do my best to touch upon each of these topics. I first wrote about cultural appropriation in the context of traditional Guatemalan textiles on my ethical fashion blog based on my first time experience in Guatemala. However, after being here at Maya Traditions for a week, I
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There are over 20 different ethnic groups in Guatemala and each of those group’s fabrics and even outfits can vary by region. For example, Kaqchikel Maya from the highlands of the Sololá region may wear a multi-purpose cloth, or a tzute, over their shoulders or folded and placed atop her heads. While a Maya woman from the highlands of the Xela (or Quetzaltenango) region may wear their hair in two low braids with a woven band wrapped around both braids. Also, the colors of a typical blouse, or huipiles, are distinct per region. For example, a Kaqchikel Maya in the Sololá region’s
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The success of our work at Maya Traditions is made possible through the constant support of volunteers. Here, volunteer Larissa reflects on her time working with Maya Traditions in Guatemala: My three months working with Maya Traditions in Panajachel were joyous, but went by fast. Being a volunteer I had the opportunity and support to develop different projects and participate in many activities related with handicrafts and design, Maya textiles and ancient techniques, production, sustainable process, new environmentally friendly materials, and Fair Trade. As a fashion designer I had the chance to learn all about the natural dye process and materials used
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Happy Friday everyone, Christine here! Today I want to take a moment not to talk about how our recent literacy workshop went, but to share reasons why our partner artisans want to learn to read and write. Listening to their conversations towards the end of the class caught me a bit by surprise. I recognized the the real existence of educational resource distribution across the world and its real impacts on women and development. This is something which is easy to forget when your information comes from books or news articles which seem pseudo-reality. Let’s take a moment to look a bit
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Elena is one of our artisan partners who will be traveling to the Smithsonian Museum in September through our partnership with Unlocking Silent Histories. Unlocking Silent Histories aims to support indigenous youth through learning opportunities that lead to critical and creative media expression. Recently, our staff sat down with Elena to ask her some questions regarding her upcoming trip to the United States: What is the role of backstrap weaving in your life? For me, weaving is the traditional way to sustain the life of a Maya woman. Weaving is our work and the cornerstone of my life. What are you
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Volunteer Christine here! Today I had the chance to sit down with one of our partner artisan weavers, Yolanda, to ask how she defines cultural preservation and if she sees her work within the context of cultural preservation. For a little back story, Yolanda identifies as Maya K’iche and Guatemalan, she has been weaving with Maya Traditions for over fifteen years! She is very skilled with brocade and so when we have a new client ask for a textile sample, she is one of the artisans who may come in to weave it, which is why she came to the office today.
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Maya Traditions offers the unique opportunity to learn the ancient art of backstrap weaving alongside one of our artisan partners in Guatemala. Here, a recent participant of the class shares her experience: Backstrap weaving is a beautiful Maya art that preserves traditional culture for the women of Guatemala. The textiles create beautiful handbags, blankets, and clothing and going into Guatemala I was so excited to bring back these amazing products to show every one the work done by these artisan women. I thought that just by watching the women work for hours, I would be able to understand the work
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The success of our work at Maya Traditions is made possible through the constant support of volunteers. Here, we introduce volunteer Christine who is currently supporting our work in Guatemala: Hello there and happy Tuesday! Christine here! Just a bit about myself, I love to sing, run, eat, do portrait photography, braid long hair, and sleep. I am also an ethical fashion blogger at Beyoutiful Hope and am a Master’s student studying International Trade with a focus on economic development. My master’s project looks into the multiple facets of Guatemalan indigenous textiles including mapping the production chain, analyzing the marketing of the textiles as
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Hi there! I can’t quite figure out how it’s already the end of week five here in Guatemala. On one hand it’s starting to feel normal here, which is incredibly exciting because that means we are adjusting and adapting! At the same time, however, there are still those moments where you step back and none of it feels real. We are so lucky. This past week has been one of many changes and accomplishments. After spending almost two weeks on fixing up the garden in San Juan La Laguna, we finally finished and were given the honor of presenting it
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Meet Edgar Morales Lopez, one of our wonderful staff members at Maya Traditions. Edgar helps manage the medicinal plant garden and leads informative tours for visitors. He looks forward to sharing the garden with you. Edgar Morales Lopez comes from a family of passionate gardeners. Growing up in Panajachel, he inherited a wealth of knowledge about growing and caring for medicinal plants from his mother who is a curandera, or healer. He also gained valuable landscaping and construction skills helping his father care for several properties as well as aiding in his parents’ plant business in the local market. Edgar
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