Artesanía and Crafts

Photo: Miguel Ángel de la Cueva / www.planetapeninsula.org (R)

Baja California Sur has no handicraft traditions that may be defined as native.  However, there is a deeply rooted craft tradition originating from ranch owners in Baja California Sur.  The ranch culture absorbed both Western forms of subsistence, as well as the lifestyles and ways of the ancient people of Baja California Sur. This synthesis resulted in residents’ use of resources provided by the environment. They created leather pieces, wicker works (mainly palm), rudimentary pottery, and the use of regional woods (palo de arco, choya, pitaya, cardon, palo fierro, palo adan, palma, etc.).  To make the best use of available materials and to decrease waste, other elements were added: bovine bones and horns, remains of animal hide, stones, sand, coral, conch shell, abalone, clams and mother of pearl.

Currently, the state government and several civil organizations are in charge of dissemination, preservation, and recovery of crafts.  There are other programs that encourage crafts manufacturing as an alternative economic activity, mainly in remote communities.  Training courses in manufacturing techniques and marketing encourage artesanía as a feasible means of community development.[1] This statewide program has a registry of 451 craftsmen.

In 2003, the Association of Baja California Sur Craftsmen and the state government created the House of the Baja California Sur Craftsmen, whose role is to bring products closer to potential consumers.  By July 2004, this marketing house had received items from 220 craftsmen from all five municipalities, including 20 inmates of the center of social re-adaptation in the city of La Paz and Ciudad Constitución.  In that one month alone, a total of 2,256 items were sold.