With a bit of “Hilo Sagrado”

According to Wayúu culture, weaving is much more than a cultural activity and legacy from its ancestors. For the Wayúu, weaving is a way of bestowing life, as experienced by them.

The inspiration

Fundación Hilo Sagrado © Solkes

They do so through creativity, intelligence and wisdom. As a result, each handcrafted object included in a Wayúu handbag or craft is one of a kind, original and exclusive.

For the community members that weave a thread is a sacred element. This is extremely true and special for the Wayúu indigenous people. This is how we enter this story, the story behind the Hilo Sagrado (Sacred Thread) Foundation in Colombia with the Uyaraipa community (Wayúu indigenous people).

The Hilo Sagrado Foundation was established in January 2013 by the Italian sociologist, Sabrina Prioli. As a matter of fact, it all began when Prioli moved to Colombia and fell in love with the Wayúu culture.

After understanding and getting to know the community, she then decided to create an organization that could provide improvements in their quality life.

Fundación Hilo Sagrado © Solkes

The idea behind it: not only a great sense of satisfaction, but a sense of belonging. To have a positive impact on someone else’s life as well.

Only 365 days after the establishment of this foundation, she worked closely with the sisters, Ana Maria and Emilia Torres.

On January 2015 Sabrina decided to pass on the management of the Foundation to the Torres sisters. They in return, included a third member to the team of Hilo Sagrado.

Fundación Hilo Sagrado © Solkes

The work of this foundation is a definite team effort, there are people involved in different countries. However, three women are masterminds behind its success. They are: Natalia Bertel, Ana María Torres and Emilia Torres.

For some reason, there are more women involved in this project as men, this doesn’t mean that men aren’t involved. It’s just that at least in our case we (women) have had this need to help other women who face several difficulties.

Hilo Sagrado (Sacred Thread) seeks to rescue the cultural heritage of communities in Latin America. They want to achieve this by empowering women.

This group of empowered women should develop sustainable textile production through the modernization of production facilities and better qualifications. They want to take into account the use of clean technologies, ethical trade promotion, and social welfare.

The problem

The indigenous and artisanal groups in Latin America have conveyed and collected the ancient techniques and culture through centuries.

Their social implication echoes in our culture. However, most indigenous customs are vanishing, as western civilization creeps in.

As a result, the hard and time consuming labor of women weaving wonderful, delightful fabrics and textiles filled with traditional embroidery will be ancient history.

The idea was to continue with the work that she had already developed. When we grasped the situation of the Wayúu women, it was clear that we had to continue with this labor.

A perfect example of this situation takes place in the visually striking desert of La Guajira Peninsula which borders Colombia and Venezuela.

This slice of land is home to the Wayúu people. The Wayúu are the largest ethnic group in both Colombia and Venezuela.

They are self-governing and skillfully tray to keep the western influence under their control. It is the Wayúu themselves and their rich culture that add the color to the Guajira.

The Wayúu indigenous people have managed to distance themselves from the rest. They have kept their customs and even their own language, the Wayuunaiki. The women are hardworking, dedicated, wise and disciplined.

Each woven design carries a meaning which extends far beyond its aesthetic beauty. The colors and designs are superb. Behind every mochila bag is a cultural message and a part of their soul and life story.

Fundación Hilo Sagrado © Solkes

This indigenous culture is organized in matrilineal clans. This means that the Wayúu children carry their mother’s last name, making the Wayúu women not only the center of the family but cultural leaders as well. Matrilineality is the tracing of descent through the female line.

It may also relate with a societal system in which each person is identified with their mother’s lineage. In other words, a matriline is a line of descent from a female ancestor.

 

The crafts

There are many things that we have learned from this community, they have had the best attitude towards improving their life quality.

A traditional Wayúu settlement is made up of five or six houses that made up by “caserios” or “rancherias”. Each ranchería is named after a plant, animal or place. And, a territory that has many rancherias is named after the mother’s last name given the matriarchal structure of the Wayúu culture.

That being said, the problem, as expected, runs even deeper. Projects done by artisans can be understood as a prized form of development for indigenous people.

Additionally, traditional handicrafts production requires very few machinery and they mostly use available raw materials. This in return encourages local demand and generates employment in other sectors.

Production is usually done in the home and alongside household activities.

An important reflection is that for numerous indigenous peoples is that organizing their work in order to be sold is somewhat complicated.

If this organization is achieved, the profits acquired from the sale of handicrafts can be channeled into other activities that may in return benefit an entire community with other local development programs.

Fundación Hilo Sagrado © Solkes

One of the most significant aspects of culture that the Wayúu women practice is the art of weaving Wayúu bags.

But that is not all. It’s no secret, as a matter of fact it’s well known that Latin America and the Caribbean Region preserve a rich cultural and natural heritage. From archeological pre-Hispanic sites, and breathtaking natural sites, amongst others, the basis for further strengthening sustainable development exist.Despite all of this, this development doesn’t take place.

The community is beautiful, they received us with open arms… there are many cultural shocks, things that you just don’t imagine… as a Colombian you think you know about the Wayúu culture but in fact you don’t!

 

With the world economy still struggling to recover from the economic shocks of the past few years, momentum is growing for a new industrial revolution. A revolution that is sustainable and inclusive. This means supporting growth within the constraints of the planet’s limited resources and putting people at the heart of development.

However, this is easier said than done. Central to a sustainable industrial development is the urgent need to tap and cultivate the economic potential of women (half of the world’s population).

 

Making things happen

The Hilo Sagrado team strongly believes in giving back to the indigenous Wayúu communities. In addition to being Fair Trade, Wayúu Tribe is committed to selling only 100% authentic Wayúu Bags and art.

But, the work done by the “Hilo Sagrado” Foundation surpasses the rescuing of the cultural heritage of communities in Latin America and consequently empowering entrepreneur women. The idea is to develop a sustainable textile production.

Fundación Hilo Sagrado © Solkes

In order to achieve this, the foundation strives to increase the capability and modernization of the production facilities. Furthermore, the use of clean technologies, ethical trade promotion, and social welfare is extremely important.

The Hilo Sagrado Foundation prides itself in using creative thinking and interdisciplinary methods to construct sustainable development. Together with the communities, they develop projects in order to improve their quality of life and to achieve long term goals.

For them, the work done with women from the community is vital. They are after all the motor. The fact of the matter is that women are, and will continue to be powerful drivers of development. When men and women are upheld to the same standards (equality), economies develop faster, fewer people remain in poverty, and overall well-being increases.

 

A vision of change

As a matter of fact, Hilo Sagrado has a vision of change. The idea is to have sustainable textile production developed with high ethical standards that allow producing communities to preserve their culture, identity and generate a positive impact on society.

Each Wayúu mother teaches her daughter how to weave keeping the tradition as alive and vibrant as ever. To the Wayúu, weaving is a symbol of wisdom, intelligence, and creativity.

Women are the center of the Wayúu culture. They are strong figures, they are respected, they are so important. Men have certain jobs, obviously, but women are the heartbeat of this indigenous people.

Legend has it that, the weaving bag tradition comes from “Wale´kerü”, a spider that taught the women how to weave their creative drawings into the Wayúu bags.

Each design incorporated into every Mochila bag is unique to the weaver, telling a story through the bag’s colors, patterns and shapes. The weaver takes careful precision in her storytelling, making sure that the Mochila bag is a strong representation of Wayúu culture.

At first glance, the Guajira may seem decisively monochrome; everything in shades of desert beige and thorn-tree grey. Here, the sunsets paint the sea a remarkable blood red.

Wayúu women work full days while weaving their Wayúu bags and can take up to a full month to complete one single bag. Today, Wayúu bags have become a means of financial support for the Wayúu people, which enables them to preserve their way of life. The empowerment of women is decisive for this indigenous community but also for women in other places.

Fundación Hilo Sagrado © Solkes

As a matter of fact, when women are empowered to make an income they accrue assets and increase their economic security. Not only that, they tend to have a smaller ecological footprint than men. Their production and consumption patterns are often more resource-efficient. Consequently, when more women take part in the economic decision-making process, it has positive an effect on sustainable economic development. This is happening as we write and speak in the Wayúu community in Colombia one “Hilo Sagrado” at a time.

More Information: www.fundacionhilosagrado.org/

Leave a Comment