Women are the heart of the tribe: protectors of the homes and decision-makers in the community.

The La Guajira, Colombia community is based on a matriarchal system; the women have the authority. According to the Wayuus, everything on earth is connected and has a soul. In other words, each vegetable, animal, human or mineral has a spirit. Nature is particularly important to them and they believe in “Mother Earth”. Textile is their canvas of expression. It is an art that allows them to express their feelings, thoughts and vision of the world. There is a symbolism that is expressed not only by their weavings, but also by designs and colors that women paint on their faces.

From their adolescence, Wayuu girls learn to weave. This is an integral part of their education and of the transmission of culture by the older generations. This learning, throughout their life, makes them talented craftswomen who can make woven articles of very high quality.

There is a wide variety of plato's, and the different patterns drawn on the bottom of these bags represent the dreams of these women and their unique ways of seeing the world…