Weaving Hearts
ServiceSpace
--Colleen Choi
5 minute read
Jul 30, 2014

 

I've been traveling in Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico for the last 2 months.  Here is a story I just posted on my blog. Maybe the SS community will enjoy it :)  Love! 

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What is it with my love affair with handmade, indigenous art? I use to think that it was the vibrant colors, textures and fine artistry that drew me in. I’m finding now that the connection is about a quality much deeper than the aesthetics - these crafts are about families creating together, as a community. It’s not an expression of one person, like we find in cities. They represent thousands of years of culture and serve as a prayer for the whole. They represent a part of time that still stands still. In Chiapas, Mexico, the Mayan communities are fighting to hold on to their culture - the communion of language, prayers, art and land (earth). Over the last month of travel, I’ve been admiring their culture at a distance. But my heart wanted to somehow connect with them more deeply.

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I was visiting Na Bolom, a museum and foundation that supports the Mayan communities. Right in front of the store where they sell tickets is a family selling their work. A little 8 year old girl named Reyna came up to me, selling a basket full of macramé bracelets. I smiled, said “No muchas gracias!” and continued into the museum. Little Reyna, full of smiles, followed me in and instantly, a new friendship was born. We told stories of the little animal figurines in the cases. Danced for half an hour to the music playing in the documentary video, using her bracelets as props. Reyna would throw the bracelets high into the air so we could dance under them. We played hide-n-seek in the garden and created our own special hand shake. I love how quickly this young business woman reverts back to being a playful child when given the opportunity. After a few hours, her grandmother asked how I liked the museum. I looked at Reyna, we giggled, and I said “Muy bien!” I then asked her grandmother if she could teach me how to weave. The grandmother was delighted! She said she would send her oldest daughter to teach, and we could have our lessons in the Museum’s garden. “YAAAAAAY!!!” - said my heart.

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The next day, I arrived to the scene of Pascuala, my teacher, setting up the handloom. Amazing. We did a brief introduction, and without words she started. After demonstrating a few rows, she stepped out of the contraption, looked at me and gestured for me to step in. As she guided me through each row, my mind was trying to understand the purpose for each of these sticks. How does lifting one and sliding another create a weave? Why are the sticks so long? Why are some wide and some skinny? Why do we need so many?! And how can you do this while kneeling on the ground for 8 hours a day?!
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With each passing row, each passing hour, and each passing day, I started to discover the answers to my questions. Each stick has a different purpose, and a slightly different shape, by design. Even the ends of one of the sticks are shaped a little differently - as Pascuala would say “No iqual” I also figured out the dance of when to lean back to keep the contraption taught, and when to lean forward to give the strings more breath. Lastly, the biggest tip she gave me was “Mas fuerte!”, reminding me to push the sticks and yarn with force.
imageFamily photo :) Mama Maria, Isabella, Reyna and Pascuala

I spent 4 hours a day for 5 days as part of their family. In the mornings we’d sit in a circle on the floor to eat breakfast (tortilla, beans, and jamaica water). On Reyna’s selling breaks she’d poke her head through the weave to give our special handshake. Each woman would check on my progress throughout the day, giving me smiles and hugs, and a kind reminder “Mas fuerte!” Other tourist would pass by and ask me, “Is it difficult?” I’d say proudly, “Yes, but I have a very good teacher” Pascuala would sit up tall and smile. At the end of each lesson, my back was sore, my eyes crossed, and my heart filled with joy - excited to see the family again the next day.

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On the fifth day, as I was nearing the end, I noticed myself weaving slower and slower. I started getting emotional as I realized that this was my last day as part of their family. There came a point where it was too difficult for me to continue and Pascuala stepped in to finish the last few rows. Reyna, baby Cela, and I sat around her, watching. Admiring. I felt so much love for Pascuala, imagining this is probably how her Mama Maria taught her. This is probably how Reyna and Cela are learning right now. This is probably how weaving has been passed on in their tribe for the last hundred years. We’re using sticks they found in the mountains and yarn from Pascuala’s 8 sheep. We weren’t just weaving a piece of fabric. We were weaving hearts.

When we finished I started getting teary eyed. Mama Maria came over and gave me a big hug! She said I am a fast learner. Then she said “You come to visit my house. Sleep at my house. Tomorrow?” "YAAAAAY!!!" - said my heart! Reyna started jumping up and down, running around telling everyone I was going to visit. Ahhh.. The fun continues

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Reyna and Cela playing.

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Reyna and Cela coloring the Disney activity book I gifted. She played with it for 2 days, sounding out the words, playing the games, and making up her own stories for each character.

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All done! 

 

Posted by Colleen Choi on Jul 30, 2014


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