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by Zeferino Clemente Mendoza Bautista
Weaving has a long history in the New World, but in the 16th century, Spain introduced sheep and the telar (a weaving device) in colonial Mexico. The first bishop of La Nueva Villa de Antequera between 1535-55 Fray Joannis Lopez de Zarate, by his orders the telar and sheep was introduced in Teotitlan that replaced the back trap loom and cotton. Sheep played a crucial role in transforming the lives of indigenous weavers.

The ancient back strap loom was supplanted by the telar, a four shafted foot loom. Today, in our village of Teotitlàn del Valle, near Oaxaca City (30 min. east); we continue producing textiles, a craft inherited from our ancestors, but with new weaving techniques. Over the years, Don Porfirio Mendoza´s family had been weavers of small rugs like saddle blankets, serapes and mainly ponchos. In response to the demand for larger rugs and tapestries by business travelers; however, the family has expanded their craftwork.

PROCESS

Traditional methods are used to gather and prepare the raw material; it is a long process. First, the wool of the sheep needs to be sheared. Then, the wool is cleaned and washed in a small basket in a nearby creek. After that, the washed wool is placed on sand to dry for a day. The next day, it is ready to be combed using two flat board wire brushes to comb the fibers. Later, we cut the combed wool into two long pieces to start whirling it on the spinning wheel, thus the yarn is made.

DYES

Today, there is a wide variety of colors, but in former times, the only hues used were acquired from combining the sheared wool to get the desired tone. Also used were natural pigments contained in brushes, bark trees, roots, fruits and insects like the well-known cochineal that were found in the region or brought by merchants. We use aniline dyes to obtain some shades not easily found in nature.

WEAVING

Lastly the fixing of warp and the weaving itself; we stand on the pedals to raise and lower the warp so we can pass the weft threads through the warp that becomes the weave. By this slow back and forth process of interlacing sets of alternating weft-yarn, the weaves increases. At the same time, using our imagination to combine shades and design, we create styles, patterns, geometrical fragments. Antique motifs gradually appears on rugs, runners, room mats and tapestries.

ANCIENT HISTORY

The word Teotitlan (Sacred Place) comes from the Nahuatl, the Aztec language. During the year of 1486 A.D. the Mexica ruler Ahuitzol “Otter”, looking for new trade routes for his kingdom, sent his armies to conquer new lands. They came into the Zapotec territories, specially in Lo Laá Planicie de Huajes in Zapotec language; later, Valley of Huaxyacatl (Oaxaca) ”Land of Acacia Tree” the Aztecs established a permanently garrison and collected taxes in Cuilapam which was the Mixtec- Zapotec head seat at that time. The Tenochas translated in their language all the towns conquered like Etla, Atzompa, Ocotlan. Xoxocotlan, Teitipac, Tlalixtac, Tomaltepec, Tlacochahuaya, Tlacolula, and Mitla. Their Calpixtle a tax collector obtained goods in tribute like reed baskets to carry their food, tortillas, corn, chili peppers, turkeys, gold, palm mat, textiles and cotton materials for the king´s armies and empire. In 1480´s they subjugated other towns and villages on their way to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, including Xa guie “Dwellers Under the Crag”. Today, it is called Teotitlan del Valle. Folk tradition and legends claims that Xa guie was the first settlement and capital of the ancient Zapotec culture.