Learning and Sharing in Oaxaca, Mexico: Cross-Cultural Exchange among U.S. Puebloan Weavers, Southwestern Textile Scholars, and Oaxacan Weavers for the 2019 AAHS Traditional Technologies Seminar

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Introduction by: Louie Garcia and Laurie Webster, Program Co-Chairs

With comments by: Ben Bellorado, Ahkima Honyumptewa, Chuck LaRue, Chris Lewis, Kurly Tlapoyawa, Mary Weahkee

The Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society’s Traditional Technologies Program was established in 2018 to provide research and travel opportunities for Native American and Hispano artists and scholars and non-Native students and scholars who practice or study Southwestern traditional arts. Two types of programs are funded in alternating years: (1) an international study seminar for an invited group of participants to visit Latin American communities that continue to practice traditional arts and lifeways, and (2) domestic travel to U.S. museums for a self-organized group of Native American or Hispano scholars to study collections. 

In 2019, the first international travel seminar was organized to study the indigenous textile and basketry traditions of Oaxaca, Mexico. The trip was guided by Traditions Mexico, an Oaxaca-based travel company. After visiting markets and archaeological sites near Oaxaca City, the group spent six days traveling through the highlands and lowlands of rural Oaxaca, meeting weavers and other traditional technology practitioners from Zapotec, Mixtec, Trique, and Amuzgo language communities. U.S. and Oaxacan weavers exchanged information about traditional weaving methods and practices and shared their concerns about modern impacts on these textile traditions. 

The program will premiere the trip documentary by filmmaker Kurly Tlapoyawa, followed by a discussion of trip highlights by seminar participants. 

All of the following Oaxaca Seminar participants are expected to join in the Questions and Answers period at the end of the presentation.  

Oaxaca Seminar Participants – * Indicates AAHS Traditional Technologies Committee members.  

• Ben Bellorado, Southwestern archaeological textiles scholar
• John Douglass, Southwestern archaeologist and former AAHS president
• Louie Garcia, Tiwa-Piro weaver and textiles scholar*
• Kelley Hays-Gilpin, Southwestern archaeologist*
• Ahkima Honyumptewa, Hopi weaver and textiles scholar
• Chuck LaRue, biologist and Southwestern weaving technologies scholar
• Chris Lewis, Zuni fiber artist and scholar
• Shelby Tisdale, Southwestern anthropologist*
• Kurly Tlapoyawa, Chicano ethnohistorian and filmmaker
• Mary Weahkee, Santa Clara/Comanche archaeologist and textiles scholar
• Laurie Webster, Southwestern textiles scholar*

Suggested Reading: Mindling, Eric. Oaxaca Stories in Cloth. Thrums Books, 2016.