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A Tradition of Natural Dyes in Oaxaca - Mexico (part 1)

The summer of 2022, I visited Mexico for almost a month. I started with a visit Mexico City and Cuernavaca, then moved to San Miguel de Allende for two weeks of teaching a workshop in natural dyeing and botanical printing.


natural dyes used in Mexico
a tradition of natural dyes in Oaxaca Mexico

After teaching, I continued to the Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca, one of the two largest states of Mexico, with my new friend Connie Chaplin from Canada (check out her place for creative workshops).


Of course there is so much to tell about this trip, I want to start with this blog post and share with you some insights I learned from Zapotec Master Weaver Bulmaro Perez Mendoza in Teotitlan del Valle,


I will prepare a separate post about some insights from Mexico City and from another visit to the workshop home of Juana and Antonio, Juana is the sister of Porfirio Gutierrez, Master Dyer and Weaver in the Zapotec tradition, who has a studio in the USA.



I will start this blog by stating I feel that whatever I learned by seeing, smelling, listening, conversing and feeling in the days spent in Oaxaca, it made me crave to return and do a lot more growing and learning to understand a culture with such a direct ancestral knowledge of natural dyes.


the stone marker is a way to accentuate land lines
Oaxaca on the way to Teotitlan del Valle

We arrived in Oaxaca City after a four hour drive and a flight. It was immediately visible, that between San Miguel, Mexico City and Oaxaca, there are huge differences in the 'feel' and vibe of the place. Much greener, mountainous and more rural. The area feels like tradition and knowledge. The indigenous population of the Zapotecs (a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican people) are traditionally farmers, weavers, metal smiths and potters (very famous black pottery). Together with the Mayan they were the only cultures in the region to create a complete writing system that can still be seen today on the ruined stones of ancient temples.


The driver we hired, picked us up and informed us of a 'little snag' in the plans to drive to Teotitlan del Valle, which is around 30 kilometers from Oaxaca City. Citizens were blocking the main entrance to the village in protest of government funds being unequally distributed.

We made an attempt to drive via a back road, only to be stopped by armed police. In the end we had to pass the main crossing by foot and were picked up by Bulmaro at the other end.

The Zapotec village of Teotitlan del Valle is said to be established in 1465, and it is especially known today for its' textile industry, mainly rugs, made on family owned and often very old looms, working with local wool (called churro) that is either commercially dyed or dyed with natural dyes. The churro wool is a coarse wool with remarkable durability, and is mainly used for weaving rugs and blankets. The sheep were introduced in 1535 by Dominican Friar Juan Lopez de Zarate, who also brought with him the foot loom to replace the traditional backstrap loom. This made it possible for weavers to make longer and wider pieces and create intricate patterns. Bulmaro nowadays also uses merino and alpaca wool for his rugs, as well as non-traditional hemp, flax and nettle. For clothing items like huipils and shawls, the weavers use local Mexican cotton (see also 1)


In the 1950's, with the arrival of foreign tourism, Teotitlan's weavings became internationally famous, the increased demand got whole families involved in the weaving process (leaving the less lucrative field work). Much of the art of natural dyes was lost when the ease and lower cost of chemical dyes made them much more attractive, especially in the 60's and 70's. Some traditions like working with Cochineal and Indigo, have been faithfully passed on from mother to daughter and from father to son. Other colourants had to be re-claimed and re-learned, in the past years, when natural dyes came back in fashion and appreciation.


Bulmaro Perez Mendoza and his two sons and their wives, employ 36 spinners and around 13 weavers, most of them family members, and they dye all of their yarns with natural dyes.


Natural dyes and naturally dyed wool skeins in the studio of Bulmaro Mendoza Perez

Entering the patio of the Bulmaro and Sons' home and workshop on Centenario street, you can not miss the colorful display of natural dyes and dyes wool skeins.


Traditional colors used here are:

Yellows


Pericón (Tagetes lucida), also known as Mexican tarragon or mint marigold. It grows wild along the foothills and is collected and dried at the end of the summer. Colour similar to regular Tagetes Arecta, a rich golden yellow. Climate changes have influenced the crops a lot and the past few years have not given the usual rich harvest. (see also 2) It is not quite the same as Tagetes arecta, but I suppose it gives about the same shade.


Achiote, Annatto seeds.


Pomegranate peels AND seeds, the peels are ground on the volcanic stone with a pinch of lime to release the yellows. He also showed a green he makes from the actual pomegranate seeds with limestone, I will have to run a few tests on the subject. In my logic this would be a anthocyanin based dye that should fade soon but Bulmaro says it holds up very well.


Blue

Nocuana cogui, or Anil, Indigofera suffruticosa (Xiquilite).


The production of organic indigo has gradually been lost, however the last 20 producers of Santiago Niletepec, continue to produce this fabulous dye stuff in spite of all the economic difficulties.


In Mexico, Indigoferra suffruticosa can only grow in this particular area of Cerro del Añil or Niltepec, which has the appropriate conditions for its production. It has been like this since ancient times, however each year the number of producers is decreasing, and this year, only 14 hectares were planted, since there is no support from any government program.

Despite the difficulties faced by Niltepec producers, they continue to use the deep fermentation and aeration pools built over 100 years ago to produce Indigo in an artisanal way.

The work is hard, a day's work produces only 4-5 kilo of concentrated indigo, and this only during the production season.


The indigo vats themselves are made with organic reducers that can be all sorts, I have heard: Muitle (a Mexican honeysuckle, other plant materials, bananas and orange peels. The alkali used is wood ash and nopal ash. The main big difference from my own practice I understood here is that they A) make HUGE vats, and B) leave the skeins in for hours until they reach the desired shade. No repeated oxidations or dips. Wool is washed about a day after dyeing.


Purples and Reds