Mayan Weaving Traditions and Ethical Travel

When you visit Guatemala, you will undoubtedly see women wearing a variety of colourful woven clothing. Weaving is a century-old Maya art which remains a fundamental part of Maya identity today, with the backstrap loom weaving technique being one of the most well-known art forms. Across Guatemala, each Maya town has its own unique traje (traditional dress) which distinguishes it from another. Some of the pieces woven and worn by the women are so intricate they can take months to make, holding the story of the woman that created it.

Amparo and Oralia from Trama Textiles, in Xela. Photo by Trama Textiles.

While living in Xela, Guatemala for over six months in 2023 and 2024, I volunteered for a women-led Mayan weaving cooperative. During that time I learned about Mayan weaving history, Mayan weaving patterns and colours, and how the state of this art today. I will share some of that here, as well as the positive impact you can have as a traveller or tourist when it comes to Mayan weaving.

I had more stumbled upon the volunteering position than planned it. One of my roommates was the volunteering manager at the time and when he learned that I was a fundraiser by profession, he asked if I could have a look at their financing strategies and communication. In the months I worked with the women at Trama Textiles, I learned about Mayan weaving history, Mayan weaving patterns and colours, and how the state of this art today.

Unfortunately, the the slow and conscious process of weaving faces harsh competition on the local markets. Here, imported textiles and fabrics drive down prices. Moreover, despite the women’s expertise, many weavers do not speak Spanish and are often forced to sell their products to middlemen for very low prices. In other words: making a living from backstrap loom weaving or other artesenal weaving techniques in Guatemala can be challenging. This is where the cooperative Trama Textiles intervenes.

Based in Xela, Trama Textiles is a cooperative of female Maya backstrap loom weavers across Guatemala collaborating with 100 women from 17 weaving communities across 5 regions in the Western Highlands; Sololá, Huehuetenango, Sacatepéquez, Quetzaltenango and Quiché. 

Trama Textiles was formed in 1988 by Amparo De Léon de Rubio and Oralia Chopen after some of the most devastating years of the Guatemalan civil war. During this period, many Maya men were lost: grandfathers, fathers, brothers and sons. As a result, the women across Maya communities united and decided to use their skills as weavers to support themselves and their families. This led to the birth of Trama Textiles.

Two of the women from the weaving community in Quiché. Photo by author.

Like similar weaving cooperatives in Guatemala and Mexico, Trama Textiles aims to provide fair-wage employment for generations of Guatemalan women, supporting their families and communities while preserving and developing cultural traditions through textile arts. As such, the cooperative provides a sense of purpose and enables the possibility of a brighter future – literally, as the weavers share their colourful designs across Guatemala and beyond.

When I first arrived to Guatemala, and particularly to Xela, I had no idea how complex and culturally rich the weavings are. Patterns and colours have different meanings and purposes. The most common colours that are repeated in Guatemalan textiles are red, purple, blye, black, white, yellow, and green. Although there is some general overlap between different interpretations of these colours, they differ across Maya groups and generations.

Red can for example symbolise the blood linking oneself to ancestors, but also dawn and new beginnings. Blue generally symbolises the sky and water, while white symbolises air, spirituality and everything that is sensible. Black is a colour that represents endings, death, and darkness, but also balance and recuperation. Meanwhile, patterns are a mixture of traditional symbols and newly evolving ones.

Although Trama Textiles has been successful in providing fair wages for its cooperative members, a large proportion of the Indigenous population in the Western Highlands continues to live in extreme poverty with little access to education or health care services. Moreover, the fair wages of the women still depend on demand - Trama Textiles sells textiles in Xela and through their website, spreading the brightly coloured and patterned designs across the world. As travellers, we can make a positive impact in various ways, which is essential to make travel ethical and sustainable.

To fully address the needs of its members and their communities, Trama Textiles established the Almaya Fund in 2019. The Almaya Fund finances projects, through fundraising, based on the needs identified within the communities. Currently, its focus is on education through the provision of scholarships and school supplies for the children of the weavers. In the future, as funding grows, the Fund will expand and deepen its support in healthcare for the communities, and training and education for the weavers.

Of course, supporting the Almaya Fund or a similar fund is super. Yet, for me as a fundraiser and anthropologist it is not the Almaya Fund that inspires me the most.

The eldest woman in the weaving community in Quiché. Photo by author.

At the previous consultancy I worked for, our clients were mostly larger NGOs and our work was mostly focussed on supporting them in obtaining funding from Funds and governments. At Trama Textiles, however, I learned how local community-based organisations are working with financially mixed models that combine market-based production with fundraising.

From visiting one of the weaving communities in the Quiché region, moreover, I learned about the central role of the weaving women in their community. Through their weaving work, these women provide a stable income to their families and beyond. As with the funds from the Almaya Fund, this income supports education.

Hence, it is through a collaborative effort between Trama Textiles and the Almaya Fund, a unique, empowering, and sustainable model is established. This model combines the Cooperative’s weaver-owned business initiative with essential support from the Fund, enhancing the capabilities of the weaver. As a result, Maya weaving traditions continue and evolve, while supporting women and their communities economically.

As visitors - whether travellers or tourists - of countries like Guatemala with a rich environment of artesenal work, we can make a positive impact if we make the right decisions. When you are seeking to buy woven textiles, please seek the handmade ones. These are not only better quality and healthier - they often use natural dyes - but you will also support the local economy.

Next, please be aware of the hours it can take to create something by hand and be willing to pay a suitable price for that. Sometimes haggling is okay and in certain contexts it is even required, but when it comes to handmade arts you will want to be careful and respectful.

Last but not least, be curious! Show interest in the stories that these textiles tell and the stories of the women that make them - although there is a fine balance between being curious and nosy when you are a visiting stranger. Ultimately, I believe that both art and travel are about connection. And what connects more than curiosity, listening and a willingness to learn?

If you are curious about the beautiful handmade weaving pieces of these women, or if you want to support the Almaya Fund, I invite you to have a look at website or Instagram page.  

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