Volume 25, Number 3 - Fall 2018 An Indigo-Adire Workshop with the Man Who Could Be King Creating A Connected This past April, members of the Rocky Moun- into a life in indigo with a broom straw, a CreatingCreatingTextile Community aA Connected Connected tain Weavers Guild had an opportunity to learn knife, and a feather. about Adire Eleko: Indigo Resist Dyeing with TextileTextile CommunityCommunity cassava paste from Gasali Adeyemo, master A Deep History dyer from Nigeria. This article originally ap- Gasali began his indigo journey as a peared in the Guild Newsletter. To foster a global network of young man, mentored by his mother, who To fosterenthusiasts a global network who value of enthusiaststhe Judy Newland is now an 83 year- who value the importance of textiles to You were expecting a story of indigo, importance of textiles to grassroots old midwife. Learn- grassrootseconomies economies paste resist, and fabulous fabric produced ing the techniques in a workshop, right? And this is that of adire and indigo dyeing has shaped who he is and his Exchange information path through life. Exchange information His father, a farmer, RaiseRaise awareness awareness of of the the importance importance of told him that he textiletextile traditions traditions to grassroots to grassroots economies must do what he economies Mobilize textile enthusiasts Nigerian indigo ball. loved and stick with Mobilize textile enthusiasts 105 indigo balls went it, but it would not Create conversations that result in action into our dye pot be easy. There are Create conversations that result in three tribes in Ni- action geria – the Yoruba, Ibo, and Hausa. Gasali belongs to the Yoruba tribe of SW Nigeria. Gasali visits Nigeria at least once a year to Textiles are an important component of visit his family and Textilesthe are humanan important experience. component check on the village. of the human experience. He has provided Networking and sharing information funds to dig a well Networkingcreates and an environment sharing information for for the community createsconstructive an environment action. for and hopes to find a constructive action. Our inspiring tour leader, Gasali Adeyemo Making connections between textile way to create a small artisans worldwide promotes positive story…but wrapped in a cultural cloth to Making Connections between clinic needed partic- social change. be explored layer by layer. The magical ularly by the elders textile artisans worldwide promotes mystery tour of Nigerian indigo dyed adire Interactingpositive with people social change. who have similar of the village. Deep blue indigo dye pot cloth, with Gasali Adeyemo as our guide, Interactingvalues withenriches people our who lives. have weaves over and under, tugging us deep continued on page 11 similar values enriches our lives. 1 WARP Newsletter - Fall 2018 On the Border with Christine Eber 10 July 2018 Living for a year in1987 in Margarita’s Tonight I’m volunteering in the donated home in a Maya community in Chiapas, I fol- clothing room at Peace Lutheran Church lowed Margarita’s example and slept in my in Las Cruces, New Mexico, helping moth- huipil and skirt and only loosened my wide ers from Central America find clothes to cumberband a little. I don’t think that Mar- WARP Newsletter replace the garita ever loosened her belt at night. It had published quarterly by clothing they become a part of her body’s armature, giving Weave A Real Peace crossed the her a sense of security and comfort. Volume 25, Number 3 border in. I Now I only wear loose clothing, but that Fall 2018 immediately year of learning about dress and identity Editor: Linda Temple realize that in Chiapas helps me understand the Triqui the women’s woman and the young mothers from Cen- Send address ankle moni- tral America. corrections to: tors present a [email protected] problem. My 11 July 2018 or mail to friend Mary This morning after the women and their Weave a Real Peace and I try to children have eaten their first good break- 5753 Hwy 85 North #3044 help them fast in who knows how long, Mary and I go Crestview, FL 32536 find pants through the tubs of mostly large, unfash- that are ionable blouses and start a special tub of The deadline for loose at the the smallest and prettiest blouses. contributions to the This photo of Margarita putting ankle, but Later this month when the next group of Winter issue of the WARP on a belt over her skirt appears refugee mothers arrive at Peace Lutheran we newsletter is in Our Clothing/K’utik/Nues- the women October 19, 2018 tra Ropa, a book in English, want to wear will go to that tub to find blouses that make Tsotsil, and Spanish produced by clothes that them feel attractive on the buses and airplanes Send articles and weavers in Tsobol Antsetik of San make them that will carry them to their host families. correspondence for Pedro Chenalhó, Chiapas. The feel attrac- We wish them Godspeed on this next the newsletter to: book is available for purchase at tive, not step toward a better life for themselves and Linda Temple http://weaving-for-justice.org/ stretched- their children. 1230 NE 70 out sweat Christine Eber Oklahoma City, OK 73111 pants that no one wants anymore. So, Mary [email protected] takes scissors to the seam of a pair of jeans In response to the crisis on the border, 405/478-4936 (phone) a woman has chosen and we hope she can members of the Weaving for Justice steer- get it over her leg after she takes a shower. ing committee are doing what they can. I’m grateful for this chance to help these Crystal is helping lawyers reunite par- Information about an mothers recover a small part of their hu- ents and children separated at the border. organization or service in manity that was stripped from them in de- Christine, Mary, and Sarah, of our steering this newsletter does not tention and to remember how important committee, are volunteering with refugee constitute an endorsement clothing is to identity. hospitality at Peace Lutheran Church in by WARP. While helping the women, I am remind- Las Cruces. To donate to this effort at Peace ed of a Triqui grandmother who fled para- Lutheran Church go to Amazon.com and Submissions may be military violence in Oaxaca several years find Wish List for Border Servant Corps. To edited or shortened at the donate to Annunciation House, one of the discretion of the editor. ago. She was placed in a jail in El Paso where she was forced to wear a blue jumpsuit (blue four NGOs in the U.S. currently receiving re- indicates low security risk, yellow medium, united parents and children and then send- and red high). In the following weeks, she ing them to area shelters in El Paso and Las became increasingly stressed without the Cruces, including Peace Lutheran, please wide belt that she was accustomed to wear- go to this link: https://annunciationhouse. ing to hold up her traditional skirt. But the org/financial-donations/ Your donation to guards wouldn’t let her wear her belt over Annunciation House can also be sent in the her jumpsuit. They probably thought she form of a check made out to Annunciation might try to hang herself with it. House and sent to: Annunciation House, 815 Myrtle Avenue , El Paso, TX 79901. 2 WARP Newsletter - Fall 2018 From WARP’s President Susan Weltman While I am still glowing with pleasure friends and meet new ones. For the first thinking of our Annual Meeting in Deco- time, in addition to our two Scholarship Weave A Real Peace rah, I feel I must begin this letter with an Students we had three Assistants who Membership expression of my grief and dismay at the received some support for helping at the Information detentions meeting. The attendance at the meeting www.weavearealpeace.org and forced was a reminder that our members live all removal of over the country; members who some- 2017 Annual Dues children from times have difficulty getting to meetings $50 - Individual in US/Canada their parents on the East or West Coast were able to $90 - 2 year special - Individual US/ Canada at our South- drive from all throughout the Midwest. $40 - International Individual ern border. And some of us, like me, learned how Simple living - Choose an amount WARP mem- beautiful northeast Iowa is! you can live with bers work closely with many citizens of We are actively planning our 2019 Latin America, and we know the efforts Meeting in Washington, DC with the $50 - Guilds/Organization people make to remain at home, with their theme of “Empowerment of Women is a $30 - Sister/Gift Subscriptions families and deeply ingrained cultures. Path to Peace.” We have a great Planning $75 - Business $75 - Supporting Individual People leave their homelands and families Committee and almost too many won- $100 - Friend of WARP only out of desperation and despair. At derful ideas. We will be having a day trip $150+ - Patron of WARP our meeting we heard an account of the to a museum; while the Textile Museum effects of a 2008 raid on the meat packing might seem like the logical choice, we are All memberships are for 12 months, and plant near Decorah, about the adults ar- exploring what will be on exhibit at other expire 12 months from date of joining. rested, many of them deported or jailed, DC museums. We are also considering an and its effect on the economy and lives of optional Sunday afternoon trip for those Members have access to annual Membership those living in this one small town.