For the last four thousand years, the Mayan Indians have grown what we nowrefer to as "naturally-colored cotton" in the altiplano of Guatemala. Thetwo native colorsused for centuries are the white, blanco, (sa b 'oj in Mayan dialect) andthe brown cafek'azo'j. Historically, the natural cotton has grown in abundance inGuatemala; but,only as of late has it been difficult to cultivate due to factors relatedto the need for perfect soil conditions and purity of the cotton boll atproduction. The Mayan Indians didn't and currently do not use artificialchemicals in order to deter pests which may invade their cotton crops.Instead, they take advantage of nature's deterrent by introducing insectswhose job it is to consume the harmful ones from destroying their cotton .
Currently in Guatemala, the naturally-colored cotton crops are producingthe natural beige, "ixcaco", brown "cuyuscate" and light brown "moka". Thereare also various shades in natural green and the newest color, a lightrose, whichis due to produce its first crop this year. It has been researched that theRussianshave cultivated natural cottons in 200 varieties including a light-blue andvioletstrain.
As a natural fiber, the naturally-colored cotton must compete withsynthetic fibers inthe industry. The cotton, however, can be used not only for textile but in thehome, medical industry, in cosmetic products, in the making of paper and evenin creating explosives.
Guatemala's leading natural cotton producer, Horacio Villavicencio, has raisedhis natural cotton for over 15 years. It is astounding to hear his storiesof whilepreparing to cultivate his fields he unearthed hundreds of relics of earlyMayanancestry! As he dug, priceless Mayan water pots would appear.To this day, whenever Don Horacio works the fields, he finds items whichbelonged to his early ancestors .
The natural cotton is grown without the use of harmful pesticides. This isanotherreason people look to the natural cotton when choosing clothing pieces.Many peoplesuffer from allergies to the skin that worsen when wearing cotton which hasbeen sprayed with pesticides. Naturally-colored cotton, which has no orlow impact pesticides, comes as an incredible relief to these people whomuch watch carefully what they wear.
This natural Mayan cotton, is wild and has not been genetically crossed.The fiber is rich in iron from the earth's soil and thus produces a naturalwarmth and color. These properties were highly esteemed by the Mayans, whoconsidered this cotton a "cosmic energy". Nowadays, this warmth has beenshown to alleviate and even prevent rheumatism. It has been woven sinceprehispanic times. The color is natural and does not fade but actuallydeepens with washing.
As of present, the naturally-colored cotton is produced for world export inGuatemala.The Mayan Indians still, to this day, pluck the cotton by hand, prepare thestrandsof cotton for weaving within their small communities. This age-old cottontradition is not only a piece of their priceless heritage; but, it hasbecome the symbol of the Mayan tribes themselves. Each tribe weaves aspecific pattern that is "owned" by them. It is their pride and stampwhich at times becomes their calling card. The number of hours they mustspend to design, spin thread and weave is beyond comprehension. It maytake a Mayan woman close to 30 days (8 hours a day) to create a blousewhich she or her young daughter may exclusively wear. I have seen thetedious weaving by the Mayan Indians; yet, to them it is not tedious atall. It is a rhythmic, relaxing, expression of their thousand year historywhich is still alive and breathing today in Guatemala.I treasure mynaturally-colored cotton clothing pieces grown in the rich, cleansoils ofthe alturas of Guatemala with their beautiful weave. I see them, as giftsof a culture so unique that it is only real to the person who is fortunateto experience it firsthand.
Guatemala is not the only country which maintains their indigenous art andculture and shares it with the world. Costa Rica, one of our mostenvironmentally conservative countries, has preserved nearly one-third ofit's green, natural country as national land preserves. To maintain thetheme of preservation of the rain forests, one company in particular,Naturis/Bioland out of San Jose, has created a line of all natural bath andbeauty products produced in a solar energy only factory. Their fields ofsustainable, organic fields supply the fresh aroma therapeutic formulascreated for the Costa Rican nationals. The Arenal active volcano, sharesits sulfuric earth in the making of the Arcillas Naturales (clay volcanicmud masks and soaps) which are a natural blemish remover and deep skincleanser. The rosemary shampoo has been an age-old indigenous formula forthe stimulation of hair growth and anti-dandruff agent. Naturis has takenthe next step and bottled all of its products in recycled bottles andlabeled their products with paper made of recycled banana leaves!The Costa Ricans know these products and use them daily. Visitors fromcountries outside of Costa Rica make it a point to bring these productsback to the USA as gifts and reminders of the naturalness of this tropicalcountry. One needs not to go to Guatemala or to Costa Rica to takeadvantage of these excellent products. Fair Trade Naturals has secure onlinebuying of both the Ozone Care natural cotton clothing line and the BiolandCosta Rican bath and beauty products. Call for a free catalog.
Written by: Laurie Huffman, Fair Trade Naturals
UNIFORMSTORE Anvil 100% Certified Organic Ring-Spun Cotton Pique Polo Sport Shirt Comes in 6 Colors 6.5 oz
RELATED LINKS:
|
|---|
| * * * IN-HOUSE RESOURCES * * * |
|---|
