WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND THE CHAGUAR?
Wichí women ,they weave the fibers of the chaguar plant as part of their culture. They transmit this knowledge from generation to generation with designs that arise from their cosmology: that of a fishing-hunting-gathering people native to the Gran Chaco region .
He chaguar It is a plant which grows spontaneously in the undergrowth. To work the fibers, the artisans go through several stages:
They walk several kilometers to collect the chaguar. They select the best quality plants and use a wooden stick to protect themselves from the very sharp thorns. Once the leaves are selected, they carefully remove the spiny covering.
To remove impurities, they beat and scrape the fibers. Then they rinse and dry them in the sun. The stronger the sun's rays, the whiter the fabric will be.
Then, the artisans separate them and work them manually on their laps using ash to obtain a better quality thread.
The next step is dyeing. To achieve this, the women use roots, fruits, bark, and leaves from the native forest, which yield unique colors. Ochre, black, and brown are the most prominent, complemented by pinks, blues, violets, oranges, and greens.
MATRIARCA is a cooperative supported by one of the largest networks of indigenous women in Argentina. It has an Advisory Council made up of cultural entrepreneurs, NGOs, and leading figures in the art world.
Through MATRIARCA has promoted the development of special technology for cultivating chaguar and improving the dyeing process. In this way, they have identified more than thirty-two dye plants.