In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, Santa Rosa Junior College’s Intercultural Center will hold two workshops, the first being ancestral dyeing on Sept. 19 at 10:30 a.m. and the second being backstrap weaving on Sept. 20 at 10:00 a.m.
Sari Monroy, who is of Xicana and Kaqchikel Guatemaya descent, is the fiber artisan running the workshop at SRJC and elsewhere in the Bay Area. She was taught a variety of fabric arts from her mother and elders.
According to her website, The Blue Weaver, she dyes fiber using botanicals such as Tasmanian blue gum bark (Eucalyptus globulus), Chinese indigo (Persicaria tinctoria), Purple jellydisc (Ascocoryne sarcoides), along with a variation of others.
Tannin, found in many botanics, and aluminum sulfate, found near volcanoes, both act as a native mordant that causes the pigment in the dyes to enhance; it has been used for centuries by many Indigenous artisans.
Prior to colonialism, backstrap weaving was more difficult, as the only available materials were cotton, agave, and hemp fabric. In modern times you can use the abundance of diverse fabrics to choose from and can be done with any kinds of sticks.
“All traditional clothing can be made of this loom,” Monroy said. Examples include huipil and rebozo. The former translates to “embroidered blouse” or “embroidered dress” and can vary in length and style depending on the ethnic community.
The latter, which translates to “shawl” or “long scarf” has a variety of different uses such as carrying children, a tourniquet during pregnancy or labor, along with being used in traditional dances or rituals, such as marriage or burial.
Melinda Hernadez, the coordinator of the student success programs emphasized the pre-colonization roots and criminalization of the Indigenous practices through the concept “Re-membering” and the importance of reconnecting with lost traditions.
Upcoming events are published on the Intercultural Center’s events website and some are still being determined in honor of Hispanic Heritage month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 along with Native American Heritage month approaching in November.