“When I arrived in Mexico I knew one word of Spanish, Hola. Soon, I discovered I needed to considerably improve my communication skills! There are hundreds of indigenous groups of weavers based within small and remote communities throughout the region and within most of these groups, Spanish was not the first language. Dating back thousands of years, these tribes aren’t defined by borders, settling across Mexico and Guatemala. Each speaking their native languages, and weaving with patterns and colours specific to their cultural dress. You could know where a person was from based on their ‘traje’ (traditional dress) Creating a map of this vast region that tells the history and traditions dating back to pre-colonial time.

Until recently, this almost-forgotten technique had been in danger of being lost through generational change and new technologies. Consumerism and capitalism grew so that young people didn’t want to learn the laboursome crafts of their ancestors; it became a symbol of poverty and the pressures of keeping up with and meeting the demand of the US the craft and history of the region suffered. But the hard work of women’s co-operatives and small pueblo cultural centres, have fought for government acknowledgement and the traditions of this craft is currently undergoing a resurgence.”