Global Exchange: Hackey Sacks from Guatemala

Hackey Sacks from Guatemala $ 15.00

Set of Three with Pouch Great for juggling or just kicking around, these Hackey Sacks were made by Mayan women from Chichicastenango, Guatemala. They are imported by Maya Traditions, a cooperative creating hope and economic opportunity for hundreds of indigenous people in Guatemala.

Country of Origin: Guatemala
Dimensions: 4" * 3" / ball : 3"

Global Exchange: Guatemalan Baby Bib

Guatemalan Baby Bib $ 16.00

Backstrap weaving is an ancient and highly-skilled technology that is passed on from mother to daughter. Every inch of fabric takes approximately one hour to hand weave! These wonderful backstrap baby bibs are made by women from the Solola Weaving Group in Guatemala. Maya Traditions has been working with this and other women’s weaving cooperatives and family businesses since 1988. This particular group of women joined together in 1985 after they suffered many losses during the war. As backstrap weavers, they are earning consistent income to help support their families. Maya Traditions has also developed several projects with the women, which have done much to improve their quality of life. The projects include health care for the women, including medicinal herbs, and education for their children.

Country of Origin: Guatemala
Dimensions: 10 1/3" across, 10 1/3" long; approx. 17" around neck

Global Exchange: Woven Shirt

Guatemalan Shirt $ 49.00

Handwoven in Guatemala, these comfortable longsleeve shirts are imported by Maya Traditions, a weavers' cooperative creating hope and economic opportunity for thousands of people throughout Guatemala. These stylish shirts are produced into a textured fabric using the highly-skilled technique of footloom weaving which is practiced mainly by men in Guatemala. The shirt comes in black, Cream, and is available in medium, large, and extra large. All are 100% cotton.

Country of Origin: Guatemala
Dimensions: Choose size below

Global Exchange: Mayan Pillow

Nahuala Pillow from Guatemala - $ 59.00

The Nahuala Pillows from Maya Traditions are made by women from the Santa Catarina-Nahuala Weaving Group in Guatemala. This group of weavers creates intricate weft brocade designs inspired by nature, often passed down from ancestors. Consistent work provides a source of needed income in this rural village. Maya Traditions has been working with this and other woman’s weaving cooperatives and family businesses since 1988. The Nahuala Pillow is 100% cotton and comes pre-stuffed. The detailing and beautiful earth-tone colors combined with its comfort make the Nahuala Pillow a decorative and practical addition to any home!

Country of Origin: Guatemala
Dimensions: 16.5" x 16.5"

Books on Weaving in Chiapas, Mexico

Click on this link to go to Amazon: Weaving Generations Together: Evolving Creativity in the Maya of Chiapas (Resident Scholar)

Product Description

For centuries, the Zinacantec Maya women of Mexico have woven and embroidered textiles that express their social and aesthetic values and embody their role as mothers and daughters. Boasting more than two hundred striking and detailed photographs of Zinacantec textiles and their makers, this innovative study provides a rare long-term examination of the cognitive and socialization processes involved in transmitting weaving knowledge across two generations. Author Patricia Marks Greenfield first visited the village of Nabenchauk in 1969 and 1970. Her return in 1991 and regular visits through 2003 enable her to combine a scholarly study of the impact of commercialization and globalization on textile production and sales, acculturation, and female socialization with poignant personal reflections on mother-daughter relationships, creativity, and collaboration. Her collection of data and range of approaches make this book a major contribution to studies of cognition and socialization, the life cycles of material culture, and the anthropology of the Maya. Weaving Generations Together will appeal to both the academic specialist and anyone who admires Maya weaving and culture.

Living Maya

From Publishers Weekly
Curator Morris and photographer Foxx here offer a rare glimpse of the vibrant contemporary Mayan culture. Classic Mayan civilization collapsed in the 10th century, but, writes Morris, three million Maya reside in Yucatan, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Another million "extremely conservative" Maya, isolated from outsiders, live in the Chiapas Highlands of Mexico, and they are the subject of this volume: "The food they eat, the way it is prepared, the stories, myths and dreams they tell..., the festivals they celebrate each season of the year are all parts of a tradition that the Maya say God gave to them 'at the beginning of the world.' " This rich tapestry of history, myths, pen-and-ink drawings and striking color pictures evokes multifarious landscapes, textiles, people and ritual. The detailed description of the ancient technique of weaving will interest students of art, anthropology and religion alike.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
The first book to document the life of the Maya of today, a remarkable people who are the direct heirs to the magnificent Maya culture of Pre-Columbian times. Living Maya captures the spirit of an extraordinary people. 125 full-color photographs and 25 line drawings.

Symbolism in Chiapas Weaving

Kathleen Jenks, PhD, has salvaged the work of the late Paula Guise in Mythology's Mything Links. Visit it for information on information on the symbolism in huipil's woven by the Mayan women of Chiapas.

Videos of Handicrafts in Chiapas, Mexico

Chiapas Tourism Video:


Good video of weaving in Chiapas:


Weaver really gives her all to the loom!


Wood carvers in Chiapas (Spanish):


Carver making a mask:


Stone Carver working on Mayan pieces:


Microcredit program helping women weavers: