Siuamej Xonoijkitini Collective
San Miguel Tzinacapan, Puebla, MX
Number of Makers: 12
Identifies As: Nahua
A little about the collective…
Tucked away in the rainy Sierra Norte mountain range of Puebla, Mexico live the Siuamej Xonoijkitini Collective: a group of 12 women who dedicate their time to weaving intricate baskets of various types and uses.
The name Siuamej Xonoijkitini is Nahuatl and translates to “Mujeres Tejedoras de Jonote” (Women Who Weave Jonote). These women have been working together as a collective for over 20 years and continue to practice the tradition of sourcing jonote fiber from the mountains to combine it with Bejuco wood (also known as Guaco) and sell their baskets at the local market.
In January 2022, we took a trip to meet the wonderful women of the Siuamej Xonoijkitini Collective. They welcomed us into their workshop and gathered together to give us an opportunity to ask questions and learn about their process.
It was wonderful to be in the midst of their day, watching them coordinate orders, make entire baskets out of just two simple materials, all while fulfilling other daily tasks like tending to their children and community members.
In addition to being part of this collective, the women are also part of a larger collective of nearly 100 people in their community that practice the traditional technique of backstrap weaving. The talent is limitless!
We have only been working with the collective since January 2022, and look forward to developing and designing more products with them, like this three-tiered medialuna hanging basket (pictured).