Everything has a beginning, the event that occurred that is the basis of the past and future history of a person, a people or a nation. For example, they say that Wayuu fabrics are born from the Walekeru spider, who, out of love for a man, prepared her first colorful fabrics like the Colombian sunrises of La Guajira. Walekeru, seeing that the Wayuu women could not tie the threads, decided to weave every night until a woman from the community decided to learn. One night, a Wayuu girl approached him with the intention of learning and the Walekeru spider allowed himself to teach her, when he finished doing so he disappeared. Then the girl was already a woman.
MEANINGS OF WAYUU TISSUES
For the Wayuu, weaving has a high value for their culture and what to do within the tribe, especially among women, since it is a learning that is traditionally shared between generations, in addition, and as mentioned on the portal, national radio of Colombia from RTVC, " It is related to the essence and vision of the Wayuu woman and her descendants."
The figures that are evident in the Wayuu fabrics are essentially a representation of their footprint in relation to nature and the spaces where they inhabit. The scholars of Artesanías de Colombia refer to this topic and tell us that Wayuu women take elements that they have in view, such as some constellations, the genitals of some animals or turtle shells, and schematically shape different figures and patterns.” .
This is an ethnic group with great strength in the textile tradition and many of its daily items are made entirely by its women. The most emblematic products are the backpacks, in which they transport food and/or work tools daily, but it is the fabric of the hammock that accompanies them from birth to death. The hammock is the witness of the dreams and loves of the Wayuu community.
WAYUU WOMEN WEAVING STORIES
Traditionally it is the woman who conserves, transmits and keeps alive the ancestral knowledge of the community. Wayuu women pass on their knowledge to adolescent girls and, based on what they have learned from Walekeru, they dedicate themselves to weaving family stories.
The writer Geraldo Ardila says the following: "The gift that is given to a woman is weaving, it is with this art that the Wayuu can narrate stories, thoughts and customs, each line has a meaning, a translation and varies according to the mind of each weaver, represents the invisibility of women's work”
In addition, it is the Wayuu women who make up the order within the families, have an active participation in politics and social actions in the communities and it is their work as weavers, especially with the beautiful Wayuu backpacks, which has led them to give around the world
