Mujeres Sembrando la Vida (MSV) - Addison has a special update

Special Board Member Update from Addison Nace

Collaboration is a key part of Natik's process as a form of supporting each partner's autonomy. This value extends into my work not only as a board member but also as a researcher. I have spent the last four months in Chiapas collaborating with Mujeres Sembrando la Vida on a research project about their methods of preserving their cultural heritage through textiles. For many members this means teaching their daughters' Zinacantán's unique embroidery and weaving techniques. Some members have also saved special items of clothing to help instruct other family members about cultural practices in the past. A final method includes utilizing the collective memory of the cooperative to re-create and reimagine designs from the past. This may take the form of one member teaching others a certain technique.

In pursuit of recording and passing on Zinacantán's material knowledge of the past, we held a natural dye workshop. Doña Magdalena was the only member with memories of her mother using natural dyes, but another member could remember using an all-purpose manufactured to dye her skirt a dark black.

Two days before the workshop, Doña Magdalena and I hiked in the mountains to gather ch'até or bitter herb (Calea urticifolia) as well as oak wood pieces. We also purchased Brazilwood (Paubrasilia echinate), palo rojo (Berberis moranensis), palo verde (Parkinsonia aculeata), and annatto (Bixa Orellana) for other dye colors. The women were surprised to see each of the dye plants yield different colors. The pink produced by the Brazilwood was a particular favorite. The ch'ate was mixed with an ammonium rich soil to help produce a dark black color. Palo Amarillo did not appear to change the threads much, so Magdalena decided to let it sit overnight. It was beginning to transform bright white threads into a subtle cream-yellow. The palo verde yielded a soft buttercup yellow. Finally, the annatto produced a brilliant orange.

Members each left with two skeins of naturally dyed yarn and an enthusiasm to keep experimenting with natural dyes in their homes. The workshop was a form of remembering Zinacantec ancestral knowledge as well as passing it onto future generations.