Weaving for Justice

#chiapas #chiapasmexico #weavings #mayanweavings #womenweavers #fairtrade #madebyhand #ethicallymade

Photo: From left to right, Juana María Arias Pérez, Verónica Arias Pérez, with Weaving for Justice volunteers, Lorena Cabatic, and Sheryl Williams

That's why I want to say to you, our compañeras in solidarity in the United States, thank you for listening to me and I hope you will not be discouraged and will continue to support us to feed our families."

Thank you for supporting us...We continue to weave a lot on the backstrap loom because where we live we suffer to fill our basic needs for our families and our homes.

On the last day, November 9th, Verónica let us record her speaking about her experience:

"I live in Chiapas, but I am happy to be here in this place with our compañeras from the United States selling for the women of Tsobol Antsetik. I hear that you work a lot for us, the women of Tsobol Antsetik.

They sold $7,028 of textiles for their collective, including weavings that didn’t sell at the Feria which we brought back to Las Cruces. Earnings from the Feria will be a great help for the 28 women and their families in the collective to meet their basic needs.

Verónica speaks Spanish and was able to speak with customers and translate for Juana María. Both women learned to use the CLIP machine for credit card sales. This was no small feat, for even some of us volunteers! The women faced many challenges during the Feria, but did so with grace and good humor

They came to sell weavings made by members of their collective, Tsobol Antsetik (Women United). Juana María, who is monolingual in Tsotsil, a Mayan language, had never left the highlands of Chiapas before this trip. The collective selected her to represent them as their master weaver.

In early November, a group of Weaving for Justice volunteers traveled to Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico to assist two weavers from Chiapas at the Feria Maestros del Arte (Fair of Master Artists). Juana María and Verónica arrived after 26 hours on a bus with several other artisans from Chiapas.

All proceeds from this sale contribute to scholarships for Maya youth from Belize, Guatemala, and Chiapas, Mex. under the auspices of The Maya Educational Foundation.

#education
#lascruces
#lascrucesnm
#mayaeducation

Join us for our 11th Annual Scholarship Fundraiser on Saturday, October 18th from 9 am to 5 pm at the First Christian Church, 1809 El Paseo Rd, Las Cruces, NM. Nearly 2,000 unique, one of a kind, and vintage items from over 80 generous donors will be for sale!

to the folks who will host her there. We’re delighted that the artisanry of the weavers in Chiapas will soon be in the homes of African families. In the photo taken by Elaine’s husband, Leo, Christine on the left and Elaine on the right, show off some of the weavings.

of each month. After enjoying cake and company, residents listened to a brief talk Christine gave and then purchased textiles. Amy, one of the residents, is on her way soon to several countries in Africa where she plans to give animalitos and other woven gifts

This past Friday, Christine Eber of Weaving for Justice spent a lovely afternoon with residents at the Village at Northrise. Elaine Hampton, former Steering Committee member and long-time supporter of the weavers in Chiapas, organized a sale at a Birthday Bash at Northrise held at the end

#chiapas #chiapasmexico #womenweavers #weavingforjustice #totebag #totebags #fairtrade #buyfairtrade #buyhandmade #handmade

The bags sell for $45 and are available at our 3rd Saturday sales from 10am-3pm at First Christian Church, 1809 El Paseo Road, Las Cruces, New Mexico. If you cannot come to one of our sales and would like to purchase a bag, please email us at www.weaving-for-justice.org.

Since the elimination of these visas, the women have been doing their best to make lives for themselves and their families. They work together to make the bags in four shelters: Casa Colombano, Casa Acogida, Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral, and Corpus Cristi Parish in Anapra.

Recently Weaving for Justice purchased fifteen tote bags from women who came together to sew and embroider these bags at shelters in Juárez where they applied for humanitarian visas to enter the U.S.

In the photo, Weaving for Justice volunteer, Karen Shevet Dinah, is about to package up Beth’s treasures. If you are in our area, please stop by at our 3rd Saturday sales, 10-3 pm in the Atrium at First Christian Church, 1809 El Paseo Rd., Las Cruces.

Yesterday, August 16th, Weaving for Justice held its 3rd Saturday monthly sale at First Christian Church. We were happy to see long-time supporter, Beth O’Leary, who stopped by to pick up some gifts for friends and family.

There was a hoop dance performance, Capoeira, a Brazilian art form that blends martial arts, acrobatics, dance, music, and cultural expression. We’re grateful to Ben for inviting us to share the cultural expressions of weavers in Chiapas with members of the Pueblo and others who attended!

Last Sunday Weaving for Justice traveled to Jemez Pueblo to sell weavings from Chiapas at a Pueblo Fest. Ben Shendo, a graduate of NMSU, invited us. Ben was one of Christine Eber’s students and always took a great interest in the Maya people of Chiapas.

#weavingforjustice
#jemezpueblo
#womenweavers
#chiapas
#chiapasmexic
#centralnm
#newmexico

If you're in the Central NM area, please join us tomorrow, 8/3 from 8 am to 8 pm at the Jemez Pueblo Red Rock Fest. Come by the Walatowa Visitor Center (7413 NM-4, Jemez Pueblo, NM 87024) and enjoy music and dancing. Stop by our booth to see beautiful weavings from Chiapas Weaving Collectives.

Weaving for Justice has had a long relationship. Mexicolore presents a napkin with this symbol to each class that it visits. For more information about the toad design as well as Mexicolore’s work in schools go to www.mexicolore.co.uk

#womenweavers #weavingforjustice #weaversoftheworld #mexicolore

The three girls in the photo are wearing brocaded and embroidered huipils from Mexico and Guatemala. In the center one of the girls is holding up a napkin brocaded with a toad design by a weaver in Tsobol Antsetik in Chenalho’, Chiapas, one of the collectives that.

We're grateful for our collaboration with Mexicolore, now believed to be the longest-running peripatetic teaching team in the United Kingdom. Below is a photo taken on June 27th by the Mexicolore team after presenting to group of 9 and 10 year old youth in Torriano Junior School in Camden, London.

FROM CHENALHO’, CHIAPAS TO LONDON, ENGLAND

Textiles we sell for Maya weaving collectives in Chiapas, Mexico find their way around the world into the diverse hands and hearts of children and adults who want to appreciate and learn about Maya weaving and the history and struggles of Maya people.

Please join us for our third Saturday Sale this Saturday, 7/19, from 10 am to 3 pm at 1809 El Paseo Rd., Las Cruces, NM (First Christian Church). Stop by the store to take a look at the many beautiful Maya textiles for sale that are hand woven by Maya women from Chiapas, Mexico.

#weavings

We share stories of the weavers and students, especially their efforts to resist the factors pushing people to migrate to the U.S, and how our work to sell their textiles help them resist these forces.

To receive our monthly email newsletter, contact us at weavingforjustice@gmail.com.