Hand-woven mochilas from an Arhuaco mother; these bags have already been paid for, while 50% of the purchase price will also go directly back to her; the other half will go towards legal and admin fees required to set Mamo and their family up with financial vehicles and support.

Large mochilas make for great day-bags, while the medium and smalls are great for everyday carry.

These bags are durable, that is their most alluring factor; moreso than their designs, which only had more magic, almost like a bag-of-holding.

I had always wanted to get Arhuaco mochilas; in Mhuysca we call the bag scheeshwa, would be the nearly English phonetic spelling, though we spell it chisua, I believe. There bags were/are our everyday carry; to carry medicine and other needs for the day; while larger bags were for longer travels.

Mamo’s wife made these bags, there are stories there that are not mine to tell; to be a part of their world, and to help Mamo and his family find space, place and a way of moving forward while retaining, practicing and sharing our values … that is work that we’ve decided to do with each other, and the work is aligned with who we are, and who we wish to be.

Helping others connect with their ancestors, your ancestors; your lineage as a human being, finding reconciliation and building more beauty from that place.

That is the work, and you purchase supports that work.

Or as Mamo might say, “Kowabunga!”

It is as I tell my own child … always hold space, and protect space, for whimsy, for imagination, for the impossible, the improbably, the unreasonable and the far-fetched … sure it might not always happen … might not happen even often … but one day … for you too, magic will come knocking at your door, asking if you’re ready to play.

But imagination is the key that unlocks the portals … and so this is why I also say, dream freely … and manifest empathy, first for your self, and from that template, from that place of knowing and compassion for one’s self, we can hold true compassion and patience for others; a task already difficult enough, but such are the aspirations of some.

Bags

Mochilas (S, M, L)