To carry one of these is to carry a work of art. Each piece is carefully handwoven by indigenous communities in the North Coast of Colombia, using techniques passed down for centuries from generation to generation.
The south-eastern side of The Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, is home to the Kankuamos, the indigenous community who creates this fascinating mochila. Within the community, women and men have a different roles when creating the bags. Men help women in the first part of the process, transforming the raw material, a natural fiber that comes from the Maguey leaf, known as "fique" into thread. Women then take over the design and weaving of the bag, transferring their cultural identity, knowledge, and passion. This process takes about 3-6 weeks, depending on the size and design of the bag.
Once the mochila is completely handwoven and its strap attached, it's ready for a 3-week lush treatment of hundreds of colorful seed beads, hand-embroidered to highlight the original bag design.
