Empowering Indigenous Mexican Groups Through Fostering The Practice of Traditional Textile Crafts

Abstract

In a world in which globalization and technology are at their peak, indigenous Mexican communities are struggling between the pull of modernity and their ancestral traditions. They are caught between two antagonistic practices—the tension between mass-produced and traditional handcrafted textiles. This research explored strategies to foster traditional textile crafts amongst indigenous Mexican communities with the purpose of empowering indigenous Mexican groups. The main outcome of this creative research is a swimwear collection created in collaboration with indigenous Mexicans artisans. Each piece conveys indigenous Mexican craft authentically and through the creation process I was able to outline some guidelines to effectively nurture the practice of traditional textile crafts in Mexico. Given that traditional textile crafts practised by other indigenous communities are striving to survive, the findings of this study provide valuable guiding principles to preserve and reinforce the cultural legacies of traditional textiles crafts.