Embroidery is a significant part of the cultural identity in Yucatan, tracing back to the Maya culture and continuing in the present Maya-Yucatecan society. It’s a widespread activity throughout the state, boasting 36 of the 46 identified stitches in the country. Embroidery plays a vital role in Yucatecan family and community life, featuring in clothing, ceremonies, rituals, traditional festivals, and even as an economic lifeline for many families, particularly in rural areas.
However, this artisanal craft faces numerous challenges, including a decline in intergenerational transmission, competition from digital embroidery, and issues of inequality and gender violence. In response, the “Economic and Social Development through Textile Art in Yucatan” project was launched in 2023. This initiative, led by UNESCO and sponsored by the Banorte Foundation, operates in 12 municipalities known for their embroidery work, in collaboration with the state ministries of Culture and Arts and Women, and the Yucatecan Institute of Entrepreneurs (IYEM).
The project involves workshops designed to provide financial tools and business strategies to strengthen the artisans’ initiatives and safeguard the intangible cultural heritage. The program has engaged over 350 embroiderers from 27 communities in more than 70 sessions. It also includes about 100 male embroiderers, addressing responsible masculinity and challenging gender stereotypes that can hinder the development of women and the preservation of the embroidery tradition.
The embroiderers have contributed to the development of municipal and state diagnoses and a Safeguarding Plan for Yucatecan Maya Embroidery. This plan outlines the main challenges and proposes over 150 actions to preserve this living heritage. The artisans presented this plan to state authorities in June and established a State Council of Embroiders, with two representatives from each of the 12 participating municipalities.
The Council’s primary focus is to monitor and implement the safeguarding measures. They aim to encourage more embroiderers from additional municipalities to join and promote the resurgence of embroidery as a living heritage and economic force in Yucatan. Meanwhile, two significant legal developments have occurred. First, Yucatecan Maya Embroidery was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of the state of Yucatan in April 2024. Second, in June of the same year, craft activity was constitutionally recognized at the state level as a traditional and subsistence economic activity. These developments are crucial for the preservation and continuation of this vibrant tradition.
— from Riviera Maya News & Events
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