Meeting a talented indigenous family and their traditions.

 By Karina Rojas

Juan is a Tzotzil indigenous artisan from San Andres Larrainzar located in Chiapas México.  

We met him in San Cristobal de las Casas and drove one hour to Larrainzar.  We left the highway, continued through narrow streets and dirt roads, then walked up the mountain for several minutes. 

When we finally arrived at the small but cozy hut, we were greeted by Juan's mom with some lime tea and delicious quesadillas freshly made on the bonfire. 

Juan's family also raises bees and collects honey. While they were explaining the whole process and giving us a taste, Juan's sister-in-law arrived with her little daughter, Liliana, who stole our hearts with her beautiful smile and dressed in her traditional Tzotzil clothes.

They invited us to see the rest of the place and their sheep, from which they remove the wool to wash it, process it, dye it, and then weave it. They showed us the back strap loom technique and the work they are currently making. They attached one end of the backstrap loom to their waist and the other end to the trunk of a tree and started weaving. They showed us how to pass the threads through the loom and how the amazing figures were created. Liliana, her little cousins, and other small children were interacting with them as they worked. 

Depending on the complexity of the design, it can take weeks or even months to make a piece. Sadly, their work is generally not valued as it should be and only a few artisans manage to be recognized, as in the case of Carmen Vázquez in this article: Cultural award.  It is incredible the skill they must have to create the brocade and the most beautiful thing was to see how tradition and techniques are subtly transmitted from generation to generation.

Three generations involved.