Thanks to all of you
who have responded to Deborah Chandler's suggestions for helping the
Guatemalan weavers affected by the recent flooding and volcanic
eruptions.
To celebrate your good works, here are a couple of
nicely done video links about Guatemalan weaving, created by fair
trade-type organizations. The Impact
Ministries video tells the story of a Guatemalan man who learned
weaving to help earn income after being laid off from another job, but
who does not weave in public view because weaving is not considered an
acceptable occupation for a man. The weavers in the Aldea Artisans video weave fashion scarves and are
funded through microloan programs. Both videos show weavers winding
warp, and I hope someone will write us and explain how the warping boards
work, because they don't appear to create a cross in the way American
and European-trained weavers do.
The National Geographic
website has an excellent article on Guatemalan weaving traditions and
techniques, and The Women in World History site has an interesting
series of short essays by Guatemalan weavers, part of a whole
"Spindle Stories" curriculum unit that they offer for classroom use.