ABOUT US

We are a small family business that wants to share our incredible Mexican heritage that “Tejedoras Artesanales” (indigenous weavers) have cultivated for generations. These indigenous Mayan women are named after their native region the highlands or ‘Tzotzil’ as the natives would say. On our numerous trips to Chiapas, we have seen the Tzotzil humbly weaving their unique and mesmerizing pieces. Learning from them allowed us to understand the intricacies about the weaving process and how they come into fruition; from the acquisition of the nylon material, the learning and passing on of the tradition, to the transportation of the art. It’s a custom that is passed on from generation to generation.

Interestingly, only the Tzotzil women are allowed to partake in making weaves as part of their daily responsibilities. In short, Tzotzil women maintain primarily traditional households where they marry young, care for their husbands and help with the household chores. These chores, as any woman knows, are no easy task especially in the robust area they inhabit. A typical day for a Tzotzil woman starts off by cooking breakfast in the morning for the family, cleaning the house, taking out the livestock to forage while weaving in the meantime, prepare lunch for their husbands, go back to watch the livestock while weaving. Once it becomes dusk these women bring the livestock into their pen for the night and make their husbands dinner. Tzotzil lead hard lives in the highland regions, where they depend on the resources available for survival. It takes the whole community helping one another make these wearable cultural artifacts a possibility. 

Heka strives to be a member of that community by enhancing the existing art and adapting it in diverse ways that maximize the longevity of this authentic indigenous Mexican custom. Out of respect, admiration, and love of the Tzotzil people we always maintain a fair trade standard when conducting business with them; never paying less than what is asked for. Heka understands and supports the efforts of the Tzotzil women in continuing to keep this priceless tradition alive. We only hope you love these outstanding pieces of wearable art as much as we do.

Lastly, we would like to send out a special thank you to the Tzotzil women, Lorenza, Maria, and Petrona who make it all possible.