Indigenous Intellectual Copyrights — The Struggle of Mayan Weavers in Guatemala to Defend their Ancestral Art

Language: This seminar will be in Spanish and English

In 2016, a group of Guatemalan Mayan weavers belonging to the AFEDES organization (Women's Association for the Development of Sacatepéquez) presented an action of unconstitutionality against the State of Guatemala before the Supreme Court of Justice. The weavers sued the State of Guatemala for the omission of regulations that protect their textile creations from designers, entrepreneurs and fashion companies who plagiarise and commercialise ancestral textile designs without giving any recognition to the Mayan communities from which they derive. Despite the many efforts and actions of the women weavers, the Guatemalan congress has not given any kind of response regarding the approval of the law for the protection of indigenous intellectual property rights. Currently, Mayan women weavers continue to fight for the protection of their ancestral weavings, establishing their presence in various political, economic, artistic, educational, ecological and activist fields.

In this seminar, representatives of the National Movement of Mayan Weavers of Guatemala – María Elena Curruchiche, Gloria Estela García, and Angelina Aspuac – will share their expertise on Indigenous Intellectual Property Rights and ancestral Mayan textiles.

Guatemalan anthropologist Sofia González will share her knowledge on non-material extractivism (academic, epistemological and ontological extractivism) and the decolonisation of alliances to achieve collaborations based on responsible solidarity between indigenous and non-indigenous people. Multidisciplinary artist and weaver Doro Seror will share with the audience similar cases of local weavers in Bavaria who are struggling to keep their traditional textile art alive. Doro will also present the cultural exchange project between Mayan weavers and German weavers held in Munich, as an effort to exchange experiences and knowledge about these issues.

Thursday, October 26, 10:00-12:00
Institute of Anthropology, Oettingenstraße 67, 80538 Munich
Room 131