Tarahumara Baskets

The Tarahumara are the native people who inhabit The Copper Canyon region of
Chihuahua Mexico. Working principally with the natural resources at hand, The Tarahumara women weave baskets using needles from the Apache Pine Tree and the split leaves of the Sotol Cactus. Using a double weave technique, these baskets are durable and will last a lifetime. This tradition has been passed down mainly from mother to daughter for over 300 years.

A large percentage of the baskets of the baskets come from a Tarahumara women’s co-operative called Este Es La Casa De La Mujer (This Is The Women’s House), which supports one of the few Tarahumara run elementary schools in The Sierra. Other baskets are gathered from a variety of locations, buying from many different Tarahumara women. Sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri, Asparagaceae) is a plant that grows in northern Mexico, New Mexico, west Texas, and the Texas Hill Country.