Mendoza Master Weavers

In the Zapotec village of Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, the Mendoza family is not only one of the master weavers in this small village, but also owners of Restaurante Tlamanali which serves traditional Zapotec dishes. The Zapotecs, along with the Mixtecs, are the oldest and largest groups of indigenous people in Oaxaca and both also are two of the first civilizations in all of Mexico.

Clara, the matriach of the Mendoza family, cards and spins the wool needed for the family's weaving.

Abigail crushes cochineal on the metate to make the red color used for dying the wool. Cochineal is a bug that lives on cacti that when crushed makes a red dye. She boils it with wool and sets it with lime juice.

Some of the wool dyed using natural materials and Abigail using the wool in a weaving on her loom.

Julie Anderies stands with Abigail's niece who wove the rug that Julie purchased.

Photo credits: Julie Anderies