Maya Traditions
Maya Traditions is a small, fair-trade
business based in San Francisco, California and
Panajachel, Guatemala. Working with Maya indigenous weavers
in the highlands of
Guatemala their mission is to support weaving groups and small
family businesses
through providing consistent income as well as health and
education projects.
They work with more than 100 Maya women
in five established groups in rural villages
giving consistent work to women that often have a difficult
time providing for their families.
Their main commitment is to women who do backstrap weaving,
an ancient traditional
craft which women can do at home while caring for their families.
In addition, they work
with a group of women hand crochet artisans, and with footloom
weavers who are trying
to preserve their craft, and small family businesses.
Maya Tradition’s Education
Project
In many of the small villages in the rural regions of Guatemala
where Maya Traditions’
groups live and work, public schooling does not go beyond
the sixth grade. In order to
further their education, the children of the villages have
to go to a school in Guatemala
City which few can afford. For many bright youngsters this
means it is almost impossible
to get the education required to succeed in the modern world.
Recognizing the handicap
these children are faced with, Maya Traditions have instituted
a scholarship program to
pay the cost of room and board in the city and some expenses
for all the children of the
women in our groups who qualify.
Groups:
| Solola Weavers' Group |
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This group of twenty two Kakchiquel
mayan women make finely woven backstrap pieces known
for their use of a traditional tie-dye technique called
Ikat (or jaspe). The group is made up of widows and
their daughters who came together to earn a living after
the violence of the 1980´s. MT helped them create
a range of new colors and products, and to reach new
markets. |
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| Santa Catarina-Nahuala Weavers'
Group |
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This women´s group of twenty-four
K'íche women formed in 1989 to find a market
for their goods. Their weaving is distinctive, depicting
animal and nature motifs reflecting the symbolism and
traditions of the Mayan people of the region of Nahuala.
We have worked with them to refine presentation and
develop products featuring this intricate weaving, including
wall hangings, pillows, and bags. |
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| San Juan Weavers' Group |
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Twenty Tz'utujil mayan women weave
backstrap using Ikat, an ancient labor intensive technique
of hand tying and dying threads in elaborate patterns.
This beautiful and exquisite craft may be seen in products
such as scarves, bags, shawls, table runners and pillows. |
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| Santa Clara Crochet Group* |
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Perched in
a remote village overlooking LakeAtitlan, fifteen Tz'utujil
mayan women work together to crochet beautiful, high
quality colorful hats for children as well as pouches
and bags. This artisan group calls themselves 'Flor
Clarence' after a native flower.
*Groups are identified
by region, not their actual village for reasons of privacy
and security. |
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Products:
Products from the above Producer group are dolls, wallets,
and bags.
Cajolya Association
of Maya Women Weavers
 
visit
the Cajolya site
The Cojolya Association
of Maya Women weavers was starting in 1983. They are
a non-profit
organization, dedicated to the preservation of backstrap
loom weaving and the traditions which
surround it, not just as a historical relic but as a
viable enterprise – the Association offers a way
for these skilled artists to make a living wage with
the production of their magnificent textiles.
The Association provides weavers with threads and looms,
design services, the development of
infrastructures and markets to promote sales. A
weaver selects a warp, prepared at the weaving
center, which she weaves in her home as part of her
daily routine, in the tradition of her
grandmothers. Using traditional techniques and
designs, the textiles are made into women’s
accessories.
In every Maya town scattered
across the highlands, there are women with backstrap
looms,
skilled at the unique weaving techniques developed over
time in their isolated mountain villages.
These women are a precious resource to be employed without
further training or ever leaving
their homes; utilizing their textiles heritage to provide
income for themselves and their families
in areas where there is virtually no opportunity for
employment. Using the successful model of
seventeen years work and more than fifty women weavers
in Santiago Atitlan, the Cojolya
Association is helping to bring economic stability to
more women across Guatemala.
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