Catalina with two of her daughters at the post office in San Cristobal.
One of the great challenges we experience in working with indigenous artisans from remote villages across Oaxaca and Chiapas is communication. Apart from the fact that most of them speak Spanish as their second language, in many villages there may be only one house in the entire village that has a phone where people can pay to make and receive calls. Of course, things are much easier today as many young people now have cell phones and there is surprisingly good coverage, even in rural areas.
Celina meeting with ladies of Chamula, Chiapas.
Telephones are great for communicating once there is a sound relationship, but until then, it is all about face time. We have worked for the last two years to gain the trust of the people we work with, traveling to Chiapas every month or two to meet with artisans directly. For these families to invest time in producing the textiles they create for us, they need to know that: A. we will come back when we say we will, and B. that we will buy what they make at a fair price and give them work, even if what they create the first time or two is not quite right.
Intrinsic to the culture is a fear of what tomorrow will bring. Failed crops, sickness, political and economic problems are but a few of the familiar issues they face. As a result, it is common in the culture to grab what you can when the opportunity arises. This translates to selling what you have to the first person who comes by. But, with a consistent, regular presence their lives, they begin to trust and that in turn is great for everyone, building more stability for all.
On one of our last trips to San Cristobal de la Casas, we brought up to a group of women the idea of mailing blouses to us in between visits. Only one or two of the younger women had even heard of the post office, let alone know how to send a package. So, last week when Celina, our Oaxacan LTT manager, was in San Cristobal de las Casas, she took groups of women to the post office to teach them how to do it, making sheets of paper with the address information to tape on the box and walking them through the process. All seemed very enthusiastic, especially with the knowledge that they could be paid more frequently than once every month or two. (All of the women have at least one person in the family with some sort of bank account or way to receive money.)
Practical issues aside, the challenge of communicating well with anyone, whatever the language or culture, comes down to listening with respect and speaking from your heart. When my Spanish fails me (as it does regularly), I hope that at least my intentions are understood… which goes a long way, wherever you are in the World.
Artist, traveler, and social entrepreneur, Adele Hammond divides her time between Hood River, Oregon and the home where her heart is, Oaxaca, Mexico. The raw texture and color of Mexico became a part of her life when a year abroad with her family in a small Zapotec pueblo outside the city of Oaxaca gradually evolved into an extraordinary five.
Adele blogs about the culture, the crafts, and the people of Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico as well as her experiences in working with indigenous artisans there. Her travels take her down the back roads and into the workshops and homes of these people, where their diverse, ancient traditions and crafts are still being practiced today.
Her business, Latin Threads Trading, showcases and brings to a world market the work of these talented artisans while encouraging enterprise and empowering individuals to flourish independently and through their communities.
