Snapshots of Flores Trip
by Prinka Saraswati
Every single field trip we take to visit our weaving communities reminds us that a textile is only one part of a much larger story of what has been happening in the remote islands of Indonesia. Behind every cloth are landscapes shaped by changing seasons, plants that must be carefully stewarded, songs passed between generations, and families finding ways to sustain traditions amid social and environmental change. While creating a market for traditional handwoven textiles remains an important part of our work, our partnerships with the weaving communities grows deeper beyond purchasing cloth. Together with weaving communities, we support the cultivation of natural dye plants, strengthen local knowledge and livelihoods, document endangered cultural traditions, and help weavers continue their work through the challenges brought by climate change. During this journey across Timor, Lembata, and Flores, we witnessed not only the resilience of these communities, but also the many ways they continue to adapt while keeping their traditions alive.
Kupang, Lembata
We had a day layover in Kupang, Timor, before departing for Lembata and Flores to visit our weaving communities. While in Kupang, we met with one of the weavers we have worked with for more than a decade. Originally from Savu, he has lived in Kupang for many years, yet continues to practise the traditional Savunese method of preparing yarn before dyeing using kepaka (Sterculia foetida) seeds.
Across much of the Indonesian archipelago, weavers use kemiri (Aleurites moluccanus) for the oiling process because it is widely available. It was encouraging to see the Savunese recipe still being practised, preserving a distinctive local tradition. By continuing to use kepaka, Savunese weavers also create ongoing demand for a resource that is locally grown and harvested, supporting farming families and strengthening the island's local economy. Encouraging the use of locally adapted species such as kepaka also helps maintain Savu's unique landscape and ecological knowledge, ensuring that both the weaving tradition and the natural resources it depends on can continue together for generations to come.
Dried kepaka fruit Sterculia Foetida
Dyed threads being dried at the back of a weaver's house
Lamalera, Lembata
From Kupang, our next stop was to Lamalera on Lembata. We first visited a faja basket maker who is the husband of a textile weaver, we have worked with both of them since 1998. The faja is an important cultural object as it is used to offer betelnut at the time of the bridewealth gift exchange. We stopped at their house for a little bit and talked about the weaving situation in Lamalera, learning that the majority of younger weavers prefer to work with chemical dyes because it takes less time to work on, and is easier to sell the products.
Faja baskets made of lontar.
Visiting the basket’s weaver whom we have been working together with since 1998!
West of Lamalera
From Lamalera, we continued westward to meet with Mikael Doni, a passionate tradition keeper whom we have known since 2004. Over the years, Mikael has built a warm and enduring relationship with the women weavers of this community, who regard him like a son or brother. As they weave, the women have long sung Lian Knatap—traditional songs that accompany the rhythm of their work and carry stories, memories, and local knowledge from one generation to the next.
Today, many younger weavers work while listening to the radio or music on their phones, and opportunities to learn these songs are becoming increasingly rare. During our visit, it was a privilege to hear the older weavers sing Lian Knatap, reminding us how much cultural knowledge is held within these living traditions. To help ensure the songs remain accessible to future generations, we have been working with the community to document and record them so younger weavers have the opportunity to listen, learn, and choose to carry this tradition forward. We hope these recordings will support the continuity of Lian Knatap as a living part of the weaving tradition, rather than something remembered only in the past.
Hand spinning cotton threads with a drop spindle.
When in Lembata, singing and dancing is a must!
East Flores
For many families here, weaving remains an important source of income. Beyond creating a market for their textiles, we also work with the community to help sustain weaving throughout the year. During the long dry season, when water becomes scarce, producing natural dyes can be especially difficult. At these times, we supply some weavers with naturally dyed yarns so they can continue weaving and earning an income without compromising the quality and integrity of their textiles.
During our stay, the community invited us to attend a ceremony for their traditional house, offering a glimpse into the customs that continue to shape village life. We also accompanied several weavers to the beach to gather kinge, small sea snails that are dried, cut, and sewn onto ceremonial textiles as embellishments. Located on the southern coast of Flores, the village also shared its catch of the day with us, and we were grateful to enjoy a delicious meal together while deepening relationships that have grown over more than two decades.
A very large squid can be prepared to serve a large number of people in this community.
From sea to table. Served here is pan-fried squid, stir-fry kangkung water spinach, sambal, kecap manis, soup, and assorted fresh vegetables.
Joining the weavers to find kinge seashells.
Gems from the sea, kinge!
The next day began the ceremony for the traditional house Koke Bale which is located on the hillside just outside of the village. Given our long time relationship with this community we were allowed to participate in this ceremony which was based on the need to refurbish the lontar palm Borassus flabellifer roof of the Koke Bale clan house. The replacement of the roof is done as an expression of gratitude for the year’s harvest. It was an honor to be there to witness it! Seven different clans live around this central traditional house and each of these communities had a specific role to play throughout the ceremony.
The beginning of the Koke Bale ceremony.
Kreot beloge, with embellishments of seashells Kinge in the middle section of the cloth, as worn by women during the ceremony.
Maumere, Watublapi and Ende
Our last days in Flores were spent in Maumere and Ende. The textiles in Maumere and Ende have been getting more recognition domestically over the last few years, resulting in increased demand for these textiles. With this boom, it has become increasingly difficult to find dye ingredients, such as the red dye source, mengkudu (Morinda citrifolia). As this resource becomes scarcer, weavers often have less dye available for the process, resulting in textiles with a much lighter shade of red.
On a more positive note, we were glad to see one of the weavers taking the initiative to plant more Morinda trees, inspired by the workshop that Threads of Life and the Bebali Foundation offered to master dyers earlier this year. Supporting the sustainable cultivation of Morinda helps weaving communities secure a reliable future supply of this important natural dye, reducing pressure on wild plants while strengthening the continuity of women-led weaving traditions. Planting Morinda in polybags during the nursery stage has also proven particularly useful in areas of Flores experiencing longer dry seasons due to climate change, as it protects young roots and uses water more efficiently. We hope this practice continues to spread among weaving communities, helping restore the traditional colour palette while ensuring this vital dye resource remains available for future generations.
Seedlings of Morinda citrifolia.
A weaver showing off her textiles accompanied by her dog .
At the end of our trip we were fortunate to sit with a master weaver while she shared the stories of the motifs with us along with some of the younger weavers. As her memory is fading, other weavers chimed in with their own understanding of the meaning of the motifs which resulted in an engaging intergenerational discussion.
Story circle with the elders sharing stories to the younger weavers.
