Nodes that Beat Weapons: Traditional Guatemalan Weaving

Although the motifs, patterns, techniques, and materials differ, the art of weaving is one of the oldest elements of the common world heritage. Scientists think that the need for dressing caused by climatic conditions has turned into weaving with the discovery of new raw materials and developing technology. Carbonized archaeological finds discovered in present-day Turkey show that human beings were engaged in the art of weaving in the Neolithic period, about 8,000 years ago.

In ancient Mayan culture, it is believed that Ixchel, the goddess of midwifery and medicine, gave the art of weaving to her people. It is also an essential part of the same culture that every woman should learn the art of weaving, regardless of their position in society. Today, in the highlands of Guatemala, several women artisan communities use the nearly 1500 years old techniques of back-strap and pedal loom weaving and embroidery to craft their art. The main result is a blouse called a huipil, rich in patterns and produced in various colours. Besides the beauty and originality of the resulting product, huipils have another purpose; they demonstrate wealth, status, and a sense of belonging. This feature lies in the heart of our story.

Between 1960 and 1996, Guatemala experienced a series of tragic events. Following a failed military revolt against the Guatemalan president at that time, the country witnessed a series of fighting and military coups. By the 1970s, the oppressive situation in the country had reached a level that local people could not tolerate. Therefore Indigenous people and locals started to show resistance against the government and the military. 

To re-establish its authority, the military-led government used effective yet terrible methods. The controlling powers eliminated everyone they saw as enemies, from the political, social, and intellectual classes to the local population. Human Rights Watch defined these serious crimes as genocide in which an estimated 200,000 local people, mostly Mayans, lost their lives. Sadly, once created by Mayan artisans to demonstrate wealth and belonging, huipils were used by government forces to identify Mayan locals. According to Menjívar, 400 different Mayan communities were seriously damaged, tortured, or killed. The remaining individuals were forced to flee the country.

After 36 years of violence and misery, the sides signed a peace accord in 1996. As the government’s and NGOs’ focus shifted towards recovery, the aftermath of the civil war was devastating. Most Mayan women and children were widowed and orphaned due to military violence, and they were dependent on basic needs. Therefore, some NGOs quickly got into the business of meeting basic needs, while others began to create long-term development plans. Concerned that a “Western” model would not fit the needs of the locals, professionals promoted weaving in damaged regions. Thanks to the low costs of establishing and sustaining the projects and Mayan women’s already established skills, the popularity of weaving campaigns increased rapidly. Soon, a project to create economic activity and independence for Mayan women in a country ravaged by civil war developed into a whole new level of success when tourism started to show interest in huipil and other weaving products.

Today, Guatemalan artisans’ primary income source is weaving. Tourists all over the globe are easily attracted by the colourful patterns of huipil and other Mayan products. However, traditional artisans are facing a new threat now. Since they cannot catch up with the high demands, they lose popularity over mass-produced products. Nevertheless, traditional artisans, united in associations established to deal with this problem, continue to work to preserve their culture and pass it on to the next generations. Our team believes that Guatemalan women, who survived a war that made their values into a weapon against them and built success stories for themselves from scratch, can also solve this problem.