I was initially drawn to Chiapas for the indigenous communities whose craft traditions vary from town to town. As the Mexican state with the largest indigenous population, nearly 1/3 of the inhabitants are of Mayan descent, they have been able to hold on to their indigenous identity longer than other regions. Their history of strife and unrest to maintain their indigenous sovereignty, have helped and hindered their preservation of traditional craft.
The predominant craft forms in Chiapas are textiles. Each town wears a distinctly different outfit that is hand woven on a backstrap loom and embroidered. San Cristobal de las Casas is the Mexican city with the largest indigenous population, and it is where people from all of the surrounding towns come to sell their handmade goods. The surrounding community of Chamula, holds the largest population of indigenous people in North America.
We are looking forward to exploring the communities, learning, and sharing with you, the different traditions of each town and helping to bring attention to the crafts of each region.
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