Valle Nacional, Oaxaca, a Chinanteco town. The town is located on the road from Tuxtepec to Oaxaca. It is a market place for the surrounding Chinanteco peoples. Huipils are worn here during fiestas, mostly by older women.The town is trying to have a road built into the Chinantla so that more commerce can come from the isolated inland villages. The climate is hot and humid. A number of springs and rivers are nearby. The huipil from here is seldom used except for festival and ceremonial occasions.. Bob Freund 2/24/2005
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Chinantec_Vallenacional
amap_vallenacional
herhuipilb
herswrapa
wrap skirt
huipil1
huipil2det1
huipil2det2
huipil3 copy
The huipil is seldom used in Valle Nacional, however it is a hot commodity and there are groups of women dedicated to making them. The huipil is embroidered on a backstrap- woven cloth. The patterns are stunning, as can be seen on the breastplates here in the first page of the gallery. Celia Ortiz and a group of women (2002) had formed a small collective and were working on making huipils. I wish that I had a digital camera at the time; these images are captured from video and leave much to be desired. However, the overall beauty of these huipils still comes through. Celia's daughter was nice enough to model the huipil that she wore for her 15-birthday celebration. The wrap skirt is barely visible; it is a red cloth with black stripes and was woven on a backstrap loom.