Mayan Jewels

My Early Years

ERJ — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 05:35:03 +0000

Around the age of 11 my parents told me that I wasn’t allowed to talk to any of my friends or neighbors anymore. I was very afraid and clueless as to what was going. It was the Guatemalan Civil War of 1980. It was a very gruesome battle between the guerillas, who were rebels, and the national army. We moved to different location, closer to the city Barillas. I was allowed to go to school, where I learned how read and write for the first time. At home, my mother taught us how to make and sew our clothes. Every year she should buy long pieces of fabric for all of the girls. We would then cut it into sections to create “Cortes” for everyone. She would buy white blankets that she would make into shirts with long arms for all of us. For our hair we would go out into the woods to find pieces of banana trees that we would use as belts for our cortes and as ribbons for our hair.

The Story of My Life

ERJ — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 04:35:17 +0000

Hi everyone, I wanted to tell you a little about my life. I will be updating my story by parts every week until complete.

My name is Marta Matias and I was born in Guatemala in 1969. The village was named Balli, located in Santa Cruz Barillas, Huehuetenango, Guatemala. The village was rich with trees and flowers. There were always roosters crowing at about 6 am and all the men of the village were off to work until sunset.The people of my village were nice and always had a smile and a kind word to say. However, it didn’t go very smoothly during my childhood.

Barillas, Huehuetenango

Being the first born child, I can remember that as soon as I began to walk my mother needed my help with everything. I took care of my younger sisters and brothers and even had to go out every morning to feed our animals. It felt as if this was the only thing that I would be doing for the rest of my life.

Made by US

ERJ — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:18:34 +0000

Here is a article about the artist, Marta Matias, that appeared in zontasancap.

Marta Matias, a mother of three who cleans houses for a living, was one of more than a dozen vendors selling everything from crocheted and woven tops and shawls to hand-painted women’s golf gloves.

Matias was recently the subject of an article by Amy Bennett Williams in the News Press highlighting her Mayan crafts and fashion. “[She] sits in a molded plastic chair creating – or recreating – the flora and fauna that filled her childhood in rural Guatemala. With needle, thread, tiny beads and polished gems, she fashions necklaces, key chains, earrings and more,” Bennett Williams wrote.

Welcome to my country

admin — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:55:41 +0000

I was born in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. It is a beautiful place filled with rich culture and kind people. We are very spirited and enjoy celebrating holidays.

Me(Left) and my friend Maria(Right)