The Backstrap Loom Weavers

MayaMam Weavers has three different groups: backstrap weavers, foot loom weavers, and seamstresses. Nearly everyone takes turns embroidering our Maya symbols by hand.

Backstrap weaving is the traditional Maya  weaving, passed on to us by our ancestors. Although the  loom is simple -- made from sticks, rope and a strap fastened behind our backs --  we are capable of weaving elaborate designs. You can see these designs on the blouses worn by Maya women, which are  called "huipils". The "warp" or length of our weaving is attached to a post or tree that is high off the ground. We use the sticks to create the spaces for the "weft" or cross weaves. We weave intricate designs using a technique called "brocade" which is woven somewhat like an embroidery on top of the base weaving. The designs we use in our work come from our collective memory. They are handed down to us from our mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers. The designs symbolize aspects of our cosmovision, helping us to maintain that worldview as well as pass it along to our children and grandchildren. Each community of Maya people has their own designs and symbols though there are certainly many similarities across the entire Maya people.

Here you can see a sample of our work. We are weaving sets of placemats, using the brocade technique for the "embroidery" across the center.