Zapotec Post-Earthquake Reconstruction | Oaxaca MX

The year is passing by so fast and we are already in the middle of 2019! Even we have been publishing about the mural route, as you remember, the main project of our community center is the organization and execution of crafts workshops. That's why today we want to share with you, two great successful workshops that had ended now.

In our village there are representative artisans guards of the crafts knowledge, this kind of arts and trades are the economical sustain for many families, but what is more important for us is that they are part of the culture and traditions. Sadly this knowledge is not longer been passed from generation to generation, everyday youth are less interested in learning crafts, guards are older and the sense of pertinence is broken therefore  the cultural foothold it’s more deteriorated. 

One of this important crafts is the saddlery or traditional shoe maker, we called it “huarachero” which is a type of leather sandals. Don German is the last huarachero in our village and one of the last in the whole region. He is 74 years old and learned his craft since he was 15. “I used to have more courage but now I can't compete with the shoe industry, I even use recycled airplane tires for the soles but what we need are more hands pushing this traditional art and maintain quality”, he told us. Fortunately, the workshop has been a success and the results were wonderful because the participants were originally from four different communities. They learned to do basic shoe models by adding innovation, at the end as a way of community solidarity  they donate the shoes to elder people of the town. If you ask you can get some huaraches from Don German too, just write to us.

The second workshop was creating family orchards. We have the conviction that backyard kitchen-gardens should be taught in any educational institution in any levels. Above all this, orchards were the power supply of many other traditional crafts of the natives cultures, like traditional and herbal medicine, food  preserves, traditional cook and other self-sufficient consumption activities typical of original cultures. Iris Pinon, was the teacher of this workshop in which 5 families assisted, they learned about compost, germination, transplant and crop combinations. When we asked Iris what was the relation between this workshop and traditional crafts she told us “In human history agriculture was what made us sedentary, we stopped being nomads and we began to love our land, that is why the orchards are the basis of community foothold.”

Wait the next week for news about the last mural, guess what it is about! Here is the lead: it’s made of corn but its not tortilla. Well, these were the good great news, we are very grateful to you... we can’t believe all the progress that has been achieved with your support! Warm regards!

Links:

• Don German has a mural too, this new report explain why

Hi! Guess what? We have three great colorful news for you.... we have new works on the tourist route of traditional crafts murals.

The first one was made by the artists Aida Corres and Jazel Cabrera, they were inspired by a whole family dedicated to traditional party crafts.  Including mother and son crafts. Roberto makes papel picado which is colorful type of decorative paper cut with forms and letters. The mural also represents Jesús who is part of “El Muuni” which is the traditional music band conformed of drums, cymbals and flutes. And finally, the mural also includes traditional crystalized fruits of the region made by Nereida, the mother of the family.

“We are very happy because the mural includes the trades of all our family, we are part of the most beautiful traditions which are the community parties, now people look for us more often” said Nereida when saw the mural finished. 

In our region peanut it’s a very important crop but only five families remain harvesting and selling it, that’s why we included this craft in the mural route. Came Moreno, the author of the second mural called his work “The peanut house” and added on it a representation of curados, traditional fermented drink. “People comes and take pictures of the mural, they always buy peanut snacks”, said Don Martín, the peanut man, who prepares peanut in all its versions: chili, sweetened, salty… 

The third new is about brickers, during the earthquake, brick makers activated their trades because people needed to rebuild their homes. Brick demand increased so much that outsider bricks are offering lower prices consequently local brick makers’ economy is being threatened. That’s why Anel and Jona, made a mural in tribute to this honorable trade. This mural tells the story of how the knowledge of making bricks was transmitted from generation to generation, from the grandfather to the father and the father to his sons and so on. 

Well, these results are amazing, YOU made this possible. Local people is so grateful that they want to meet you people, because your support keep us going.

Links:

• Brickers, traditional craft
• Mural community inauguration