The Thread and Thrum of Sulawesi
Threads of Life field staff, Yansen Alfred Tuan, crossing one of the 32 rivers necessary to reach weaver groups.
A strenuous journey is what we anticipate every time we plan to go to Sulawesi. Our plan was to do the trip for twelve days as previously we had to go through Polewali to reach Mamasa. But now that a shortcut has been built from Mamuju to Mamasa, we were able to complete the trip in eleven days. One day shorter means a lot when it comes to Sulawesi.
Motorbike taxi carrying cacao to be sold at a weekly market.
Our first stop in Sulawesi was the hinterland in West Sulawesi. Like other areas of Sulawesi, cacao and patchouli oil are still the main income. This year, the global price of cacao more than doubled because of harvest issues in West Africa. This resulted in some weavers focusing to work in processing cacao instead of weaving.
Weavers working together in the remote mountains of Sulawesi.
Despite this change of focus, we were glad to see that there is an ongoing regeneration of weavers. What was even more thrilling was to how eager to learn these younger weavers are. We met one of these young women on our last visit and in six months she was able to tie, dye and weave a shoulder cloth from beginning to end.
Women and children identifying the stories on the fabric, while Yansen Alfred Tuan observing the quality.
Every time we go to the field, we make sure to check the fabric one by one, together with the women in the village. The weavers, their daughters, and even the little girls gather to see them. Together, the weavers shared the name of the motif and the stories behind them. For the women, to identify and to know how each image and placement of the images hold meaning, is an essential process for regeneration of knowledge.
I Made Maduarta showing Symplocos sp. kandun tree to the young weavers.
When it comes to working towards regeneration in the weaving process, a weaver needs to understand dyeing and some botany. In Sulawesi women tie, dye and weave their own cloth. However, they don’t always collect all of their own dye plants given the distance they need to travel. Often the weavers need to rely on their husbands to collect dye plants while they are working in the more remote gardens. One of the plants needed in the dyeing process is Symplocos sp. kandun.
Around seven years ago, one of the weavers planted a kandun tree in her backyard. Now the tree is tall and mature enough for the fallen leaves to be collected. We invited the weavers, including the young ones, to see the plant.
Weaving the day away.
Before beginning the long trip back to Bali, Pung and Yansen made plans when they would return to meet again the end of this year. It will be the rainy season when we arrive in December so travel will be even more difficult but we are excited to hear new stories and catch up on news. At the end of the day, it is the depth of connection that Threads of Life always seeks to cultivate.
