Fabric and Treasure: The Future of Teenek Embroidery
Tamaletom, Tancanhuitz, San Luis Potosí: A culture that is transmitted for generations
Embroidery from the Alabel Dhuche Collective, in Tamaletom, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. (2023-08-30) by Hugo Martínez ToledoSecretaría de Cultura
Safeguarding traditions
The Alabel Dhuche’, Manos Indígenas Collective is a bastion of Teenek heritage in Tamaletom, San Luis Potosí. With Cecilia Santiago and her husband Cornelio Medina at the helm, their mission is clear: to preserve and exalt the Teenek culture.
Embroidery from the Alabel Dhuche Collective, in Tamaletom, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. (2023-08-30) by Hugo Martínez ToledoSecretaría de Cultura
Embroidered legacies
The collective's embroideries, the work of more than 20 artisans, are living capsules of Teenek history, with colors that represent their identity and symbols that tell their stories.
The Alabel Dhuche Collective, in Tamaletom, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. (2023-08-30) by Hugo Martínez ToledoSecretaría de Cultura
Contemporary techniques
Not only do they keep their traditions alive, but they reinvent them by adapting fabrics and materials to ensure quality and innovation. These pieces are not mere objects, but a fusion of the Teenek past and present.
Embroidery from the Alabel Dhuche Collective, in Tamaletom, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. (2023-08-30) by Hugo Martínez ToledoSecretaría de Cultura
Family learning
The COVID-19 pandemic, far from being an obstacle, was an opportunity. Cecilia's house became a workshop of tradition where, under her tutelage, ancestral techniques such as cuadrillé came to life in her children's hands.
Embroidery from the Alabel Dhuche Collective, in Tamaletom, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. (2023-08-30) by Hugo Martínez ToledoSecretaría de Cultura
Embroidery from the Alabel Dhuche Collective, in Tamaletom, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. (2023-08-30) by Hugo Martínez ToledoSecretaría de Cultura
Paired learning
A challenge to established norms: Cecilia and the collective instruct boys and girls alike to become active guardians of Teenek heritage.
Embroidery from the Alabel Dhuche Collective, in Tamaletom, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. (2023-08-30) by Hugo Martínez ToledoSecretaría de Cultura
The rebirth of a culture
The value of the Teenek language resonates in the collective. Despite the perceived decline, there is a community effort to instill in young people the value of their language, dances, and rituals.
Teenek artisan from the Alabel Dhuche' Collective, in Tamaletom, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. (2023-08-30) by Hugo Martínez ToledoSecretaría de Cultura
Resilient heritage
For young people, discrimination is an obstacle to the adoption of their ancestral language. However, the collective and the community strive to practice their ancestral dances and speak in their language to foster in them a Teenek sense of pride and belonging.
Teenek artisan from the Alabel Dhuche' Collective, in Tamaletom, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. (2023-08-30) by Hugo Martínez ToledoSecretaría de Cultura
A new future
Resilient heritage
Embroidery from the Alabel Dhuche Collective, in Tamaletom, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. (2023-08-30) by Hugo Martínez ToledoSecretaría de Cultura
Fusion of tradition and the future
When combined, embroideries become the epicenter of a palpable transformation in the Teenek community.
Embroidery from the Alabel Dhuche Collective, in Tamaletom, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. (2023-08-30) by Hugo Martínez ToledoSecretaría de Cultura
A people with a history
Under Cecilia's guidance, the Alabel Dhuche' Collective tells Teenek stories, and its members are actively writing the next chapter of their legacy.
Embroidery from the Alabel Dhuche Collective, in Tamaletom, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. (2023-08-30) by Hugo Martínez ToledoSecretaría de Cultura
