The Perú: Pachamama program at the 2015 Festival featured a group of traditional weavers from the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco, including Timoteo Ccarita Sacaca, a Cusco native. I had the pleasure of speaking with him about this venerable craft.

In this video, Timoteo explains why he started weaving forty years ago and why it is imperative to use natural dyes and alpaca wool, as was done in ancient times. He elaborates on the importance of the traditional designs, which relay Inka messages, ideas, and ideals. I hope you are as inspired by these intricate, woven histories as I was.

Producer, editor: Claudia Romano
Videographers: Charlie Weber, Albert Tong, Marisol Medina-Cadena, Claudia Romano

Claudia Romano is a video production intern at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and a student at Swarthmore College, where she studies anthropology.