Natasha Karl

Trama Textiles

We are Trama Textiles: We represent over 100 women from 17 weaving groups across five regions in Guatemala's Western highlands. Trama Textiles was formed in 1988 as a result of the Guatemalan civil war. The war had a devastating civil and economic impact on Indigenous communities. Many men died or disappeared, leaving women and their children alone to struggle for survival. The women of these communities decided to found Trama to join forces and use their skills as weavers to create innovative textiles that both preserve their invaluable Maya heritage and embody their own creative talents. What is also fundamental for our activity is that our artisans determine their own wages to provide a sustainable income for themselves and their families. We have now grown stronger and have the objective to keep building a better future for our art, culture and younger generations.