Supporting Hands

All throughout South America we found that the local artisan markets were dominated by local women. Arts, crafts and jewelry have always been part of the gender roles assigned by different rural and indigenous cultures throughout the region.

Therefore, I made it my mission to find and wear a bracelet or anklet from every ethnia or indigenous group we visited as a symbolic way of supporting the women from these communities and at the same time promoting their goods throughout my travels. At the end of my trip I found myself wearing  9 bracelets and 3 anklets!

Some of my bracelets

Ranging from Panamanian Kuna Yala Indian, Huayrapata Quechua Indians from Taquile island in Lake Titicaca and Rural Nicaraguan recycled beads bracelets my hands and ankles have become a way to support the multi-cultures found in Latin America.

Buying Huayrapata Bracelets in Taquile Island

Check out the cultures I´m supporting and learn more about them by clicking on the websites I´m providing.

Recycle Beads Bracelets from Beads Amigas...Bought it in a Cafe in Nicaragua

Left Hand:

1. Beads Amigas Bracelet, made out of recycle beads-Granada, Nicaragua: www.beadamaigas.org
2. A Philadelphia Silly Band that Kiki a GLP Panama student from China/USA gave me
3. A pink beads bracelet Nora Lomelli a GLP Panama student from Monterrey made and gave me
4. Four Colombian Bracelets, including a Juan Valdez coffee one… the patriotic spirit
5. An Embera indigenous beads bracelet- Darien, Panama: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ember%C3%A1-Wounaan_(comarca)
6. A Hecha y Derecha Ribbon, given to all of our supporters, Panama: www.hechayderecha.org

Right hand:

1. Kuna Yala indigenous  Wini Bracelet- San Blas Panama: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuna_Yala
2. Yasuni para todos bracelet, given to me by Manuela Ima to support the Yasuni from Oil exploitation- Puyo, Ecuador: http://yasuni-itt.gob.ec/
3. A Huayrapata indigenous anklet bought in Taquile island, Lake Titicaca Peru: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taquile

Ankles:

1. Another Kuna Yala wini anklet from San Blas, Panama
2. An Arhuaco indian anklet from Santa Marta, Colombia: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arhuaco
3. A Wourani Bracelet bought in the AMWAE store in Puyo, Ecuador: http://waoraniwomen.org/eng/index.html
    

All my bracelets grabbing Huayna Pichu in Machu Pichu.... where the biggest Latin American civilization lived once

About these ads