Katya Canto and her sister Blanca have dedicated their lives to maintaining the Peruvian tradition of mate burilado, or gourd carving. Such gourds are intricate stories, recounting daily life in Cochas Grande, including children’s games and community festivals.

I am grateful to Katya for sharing a piece of her story with me at the 2015 Folklife Festival. Katya and Bianca’s continuance of the mate burilado tradition reflects the imagery of their daily life and are testaments to the changing landscape and social climate. These gourds inform present generations of times past, reveal changes in environment, and will leave imprints of history for generations to come.

Interview, editing, production: Marisol Medina-Cadena
Filmography: Cristina Díaz, Charlie Weber, Albert Tong, Pruitt Allen, Brian Hart
Translation: Marisol Medina-Cadena, Laura Melissa Vega Meza, Caroline Gil

Marisol Medina-Cadena is video production intern and currently studies film and digital media at the University of California, Santa Cruz.