Day 8

Today we had the privilege of going to see artifacts made by women and children of Mayan descent. The organization that we talked with was Weaving for Justice, which is a non-profit organization that sells a variety of things made by weavers in Chiapas. The organization sends all the proceeds back to the predominantly-female weavers. Throughout the museum we got to learn about the history of weaving and the challenges the women have faced in order to preserve their traditions. Despite the struggles they have dealt with, the women are still able to successfully pass along their traditions through their children, such as, weaving, embroidering, and wearing traditional clothing. We also had the chance to explore different pottery, ranging from ancient pieces to newer ones, from different parts of Mexico. This was an amazing experience because we got to learn about communities further from the border and how the issues surrounding the border affected these Mayan communities. Many students cannot continue their education due to financial hardships. Consequently, they face pressure from cartels to join them, which leads to lots of men in Chiapas leaving their community in order to escape the cartel. This is detrimental to both the individual and the home community. In an attempt to assimilate to the new culture, the individual loses connection with their traditions. In addition, the original community loses one of its members. Despite everything the Mayan community has gone through, they demonstrate a remarkable amount of perseverance. Mia S-H

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