June 22nd- Las Mujeres Tejedoras

This afternoon, after our morning Spanish classes, we had the opportunity to meet with Maria, a member of the NASA indigenous community. Maria works with a women's cooperative called La Fundación Tejedoras de Vida. La fundación, or foundation, aims to preserve, strengthen, and disseminate cultural information about the NASA people. In addition to sharing information about the NASA people, the foundation primarily works to defend the rights and interests of indigenous women. A few of its objectives are to: provide training for women's rights and civil rights, develop projects that benefit urban and rural indigenous communities, and provide opportunities for employment that support the economic development of indigenous communities. 

One of the ways the foundation achieves its goals is through artisan work. The NASA people have a strong tradition of weaving beautiful and meaningful works of art. One of their most detailed pieces of work are their "mochilas" or bags. Each "mochila's" design and color has a symbolic meaning and can take up to three weeks to create. Other examples of their craftsmanship can be found in bracelets, earrings, coin purses, and dream catchers. Each piece of art has been carefully planned and created with purpose; the colored threads carefully chosen and woven into specific designs that hold symbolic meaning intended by the creator. 

Our group had a small experience of what amount of effort goes into creating these works of art. Maria and her colleague Marta guided us through a very basic macramé weaving technique so we could weave our own bracelets. Some of us caught on quickly, while others (like myself) struggled to turn the tiny colored threads into art. Maria and Marta shared with us that according to the NASA people, the process of creating a work of art reflects the reality of life; everything is a practice in patience and it is all a process. Nothing in the world can be perfect all of the time and that life is constantly teaching us lessons. They referred to the process of creating their art as a form of therapy and meditation that can help one process different stages of life. 

 I'm not certain that all of us found our calling as future craftsmen and craftswomen, but I am certain that we all left with a much greater appreciation for the skill, work, and love that goes into creating each piece of art by the NASA people.

If you would like to learn more about the La Fundación Tejedoras de Vida, please visit the website: Inicio | tejedorasnasa (tejedorasdevidanas.wixsite.com). The website is in Spanish and has excellent video resources informing about the cooperative, their goals, and their works of art.