Posted 11 years ago
ho2cultcha
(5051 items)
I put these under the Native American Textiles, because that's what they are. The current political border is recent compared to the long history of these beautiful textiles which are made in Northern Mexico. they are very similar to the Navajo/Dine textiles just a little ways over the border. They are the same people - Native peoples.
You are entitled to your opinion, of course, but you need to be aware that you cannot offer these for sale as "Native American." Native American is a legal definition, and under the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, it is a federal offense, with a $250,000 fine, to sell something as Native American if it is not made by a tribal member or artisan of a recognized U.S. tribe.
Items made in Mexico, like these Saltillos, are not related in any way to the Navajo or any other Native Americans. They are made on a European foot pedal floor loom, of the type brought by the early Spanish colonists when they settled the Southwest. The Navajo use a different type of loom and weaving technique. The indigenous people of Mexico used backstrap looms, different from both Navajo and floor looms.
Plus, the Navajo are an Athabascan people, who moved into the Southwest in the 1400's from what is now Canada and northern U.S. They are not related to any people in Mexico.
Saltillos should be appreciated for what they are...an iconic and enduring Mexican textile, dating back to Mexico's early Spanish Colonial history.
thank you for sharing your opinion CanyonRoad, but i can provide a lot of documentation contradicting much of what you say. I'm aware that the Dine [Navajo] language has it's roots amongst the Athabascan lingual group, but their weaving is tied integrally w/ many other indigenous groups both on this side of the border and the other. This is from the Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology: 'Saltillo sarapes are perhaps the finest and most beautiful Latin American textiles of their period. Although the origins and precise history of the Saltillo sarape are obscure, they are probably a blending of indigenous and Hispanic elements.'
I'm also aware that serapes were made on a european foot-pedal loom, but that does not detract from the fact that the people using those looms - providing the labor and meticulous craftsmanship were largely indigenous peoples from all over Mexico - and this continues today [although much-diminished]. The finest native american beadwork was made w/ beads produced in Venice, but this does not make the work any less Native American. Culture and artisanry are not static - preserved forever in some kind of unchanging state - but influence comes from contact and an interchange of materials and ideas and this is beautiful [as well as practical] and deserves study, respect and appreciation. Nowhere has this melding of European technology and Native American culture been so complete as in Mexico. Saltillos serapes, along w/ a lot of traditional pottery from across Mexico, are the products of this melding of ideas, materials, technology, fashion, and craftsmanship, but presently and in the past, the vast majority of the artists responsible for their creation are primarily Native americans. Mexico is a part of North America, even though there are people particularly on this side of the border, who deny this. Sure there are political differences, and these have been used to drive a wedge between native people from the south and the north, but one thing is clear: Native Americans continue to thrive on both sides of the border. I worked on/ off for 11 years with the South and Meso-American Indian Information Center [SAIIC], and this was one of the important messages we were tasked with disseminating.
The term "Native American" is a legal one, and applies to federal and state-recognized U.S. tribes.
It is not a term used or recognized in Mexico, where the indigenous people are referred to either by their traditional cultural names or as "Mexican," since Mexico is considered a pluricultural nation under its constitution.
You are certainly free to call your Saltillo whatever you want, Ho2cultcha, based on your philosophical stance, but the fact remains, if you offer it for sale as "Native American" you are committing a federal offense under the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, which carries potential prison time and fines of up to $250,000 (more for businesses.)
That may not concern you, but should be noted by those who read this page, and who may not be familiar with the law. Any one who buys or sells Indian arts and crafts should first read the law on the government website: http://www.iacb.doi.gov/act.html
since the item is not for sale, it's a moot point, but in my eyes, along w/ many other people i know, saltillos and a lot of mexican pottery / other traditional crafts are 100% native american. the law is meant to prevent non-indian people from profiting on crafts which are marketed as 'indian-made'. since these items are made by indian [native americans], the law does not apply. most native people i know would say that they do not need the federal government to recognize them as 'indian' or not - despite tribal affiliation - because they know.
thank you valentino97. i'd love to see a photo of your serape. i have loads more of these and will post photos occasionally. i really like them alot.