Teachingyouabouttransparency andtellingyouuntoldtruths
“The thread dies when it slips, but brings life in the loom. The tension gives it a heart. Santo means heart and entrails, stomach, consciousness, memory, judgment, reason, the tree core, the ground tissue of a stem. The word and the thread are the heart of the community”
Thispoemisfromthebook“PalabraeHilo”by Chileanpoet,artistandactivistCeciliaVicuña. inremembranceoftheindigenousworld, theirsenseofcommunityandcraft.
WealwaysinformnewcustomersabouthowtocarefortheirPuraUtz jewelry.Though"PuraUtz"means"puregood,"nothinglastsforever.
Tohelpyourjewelryliveitsbestandlongestlife,avoidwearingitwhile sleeping,showering,orexercising.
Whenyoucareforyourself,leaveyourjewelryontheshelf.
However,likeallthingswelove,somewearandtearisinevitable.
We'recommittedtocontinuallyimprovingourjewelrysooursmall-scale productionhasminimalimpactontheplanet,unlikemassproduction.
SO THIS IS NOT YOUR REGULAR USER MANUAL
It’saninvitationtoreflectonyourconsumption anditsplaceinthebroaderecosystemoflivingandnon-livingthings.
Wehopetoinspiremoresustainableandresponsibleglobalsupplychains.
Thisguideisforeveryone,whetheryou’reacustomerorsimplycurious aboutwhereyourproductscomefrom.
Inside,you'llfindreflectionsandstoriesthatmightshiftyourperspective.
Itcouldevenbeuncomfortable,butbytheend, you'llbeabitwiserandperhapsmorehopeful.
Byreadingthis,youacknowledgeyourpresenceonthisearth.Your footprintsaren'tjustinthesand—they'reintheatmosphereaswell, throughyourCO2emissions.
Humansleavethelargestandmostdamagingtrace,withtheWestern worldcontributingthemajorityofCO2emissions.
Thisgivesusthepowerandresponsibilitytoreduceourimpactby adoptingamoremindfulwayofliving,criticallyreflectingon whatweconsume.
Ourchoicesaredeeplyinterconnected,andsmallactionscanhave significanteffectsonlivesfarfromEuropeortheUS.
Understandinghowconsumerismimpactssmallbusinesseslikeours requiresknowingthehistoryofthecountrieswhereproductionoccurs andthechallengesposedbylarge,oftenhostile,supplychains.
Theseuntoldstoriesarevital,andweurgeyoutoengagewiththem.
Guatemala,hometooneoftheoldestMayanculturesinLatinAmerica, isknownforitsbalancedworldviewandexpertiseinfarmingand craftsmanship.
ThisancientknowledgestillunderpinsmanyGuatemalanlivelihoods today.
YourjewelryiscraftedusingtraditionalMayanweavingtechniques,such astejido,bordado,andpeyote,dependingontheproduct.
Theintricateweavingprocessnotonlyshowcasestheartisticvaluebutalso weavestogetherpolitical,cultural,andsocialnarratives,reinforcingalifeof resilienceanddignity.
However,thelegacyoftheMayanEmpirealsocarriestheweightofadark past,markedbyglobalexploitationoftheirresourcesandlabor.
OurproductiontakesplaceinaworkshopnearthemajesticLagode AtitlánintheGuatemalanhighlands,hometotheTz'utujilMayatribe.
OursmallteamofskilledTz'utujilartisanslivesinSantiagoAtitlánor nearbyvillages.
Manyresideinmultigenerationalhomeswhereelders,reveredfortheir wisdom,passdownvitallifelessons.
Everyday,aswelunchontheterraceoverlookingthelake,weare remindedofitssignificance.
Knownas"GrandmotherLake,"itisvitaltothecommunity,believedto havehealingpowers,andcarriesstoriesofbothreverenceandsorrow.
In1990,duringGuatemala'sbrutalcivilwar—knownasthebloodiestin LatinAmerica—14peoplewereexecutedandthrownintothelakebythe statearmy.Thewarlaimednearly200,000lives,83%ofwhomwereof indigenousheritage.
Thewarbeganlargelyduetoyearsoftransnationaltradeconflictsand lobbying,culminatingina1954militarycoupbackedbyAmerican officialsandtheCIA.
Thecoup,knownasPBSUCCESS, oustedGuatemala'spopularpresident,JacoboÁrbenz.
Electedin1951,ÁrbenzaimedtomakeGuatemalaeconomically independentfromforeigncompaniesthathadlongexploitedindigenous lands. Heredistributedagriculturallandfromlargeforeignlandownersbackto theindigenouspopulation,sparkingsignificantbacklashfromcapitalist intereststhathadprofitedunderthepreviouslaws.
Alreadyinthelate1880’stheGuatemalangovernmentagreedtoconfiscatethe landfromthemayanfarmerswhichforcedthemtoworkunder deplorableconditionsforlargeAmericancompanies.
OneofthebiggeststakeholdersofGuatemalanlandwasanAmerican cooperationcalledTheUnitedFruitCompany.
Amultinationalcompanyspecificallytradingtropicalfruitgrownon LatinAmericanlandandsoldinwesterncountries.
Theyhadasignificantinfluenceonthepoliticalandeconomicsystems inGuatemala,bothbeforeandduringthewar.
WhileÁrbenz'spoliciesweresupportedbythepeople,hisdecreesthreatenedthe businessofUnitedFruitCompany.
Afterthecoupin1954thegovernmentconsistedofAmerican-affiliatedmilitary dictatorswhofoughtagainsttheindependentGuatemalanguerrillaarmy until1996.That’snotevenlongago.
Theyshapedthesupplychainsasweknowthemtodaywherewegetourproductsfromcountriesfarawayfromour everydaylifeandobliviousoftheirwayhere.
TheUnitedFruitCompanyinfluencedthedemeaningterm“Bananarepublic” whichwasonceusedtodescribelow-developedcountrieswithhighinstability.
UnitedFruitCompanyhastothisdaybeenheldguiltyofwaractivities.
Theirglobalsupplychainhascausedharmtogenerationsofindigenouspeople
TheUnitedFruitCompany reservedforitselfthemostjuicypiece, thecentralcoastofmyworld, thedelicatewaistofAmerica. Itrebaptizedthesecountries BananaRepublics, andoverthesleepingdead, overtheunquietheroes whowongreatness, liberty,andbanners, itestablishedanoperabuffa: itabolishedfreewill, gaveoutimperialcrowns,encouragedenvy, attractedthedictatorshipofflies..
Thisexcerptfromthepoem“UnitedFruitCo.”isbytheChileanpoetPablo NerudadescribeshowLatinAmericancountriesweresubjectedtothehostile supplychainactivitiesofTheUnitedFruitCompany.
It's almost as if their logo reveals their activities
Thestatearmycarriedoutmassacresonmuchcomprehensive scaleduringthewar.Farmorebrutalthanthemassacrebythelake LagodeAtitlán.
Butthestorynearthelakeholdsanimportantexampleofacorresponding braveryamongthemayanpopulationduringthetimeofwar.
Daysafterthemassacre,groupsofTz'utujilwomennearSantiagoAtitlán descendedintothewaterinthelake.
Layingtherewasapeacefulbutvisibleprotestagainstthestatepower.
Thisemergenceofbraveryamongthewomenisaconstantandjustas importantsidestorywhendocumentingwaractivitiesandbigsupply chainscaptureofculturalheritage.
Indigenouspeoplehavealwaysbeenresilient,usingstorytellingto challengedominantnarratives.
Theirresistanceoffersnewperspectivesonlife,production, andthecreationoftransparentsupplychains thatdonotrelyonthesufferingofothers.
Ancientweavingmethodshavetakenpartintheirresistancework andthroughgenerationslivelihoodshavebeenreclaimed.
Byhavingviableandethicalproductionconditionstheworkshopbecomes aunitthatnurturescare,communityandconsideration.
Aconversionofthehostilesupplychainsthattheyhaveexperienced. Aplacewherepersoncomesbeforeproduction.
Thesignificantsymbolisminourfruit-shapedjewelry remainsacircumstanceratherthananopportunity. Aperspectivetotheconventionalstory canbeenunfoldedandregained.
Ifweallpartcipateinweavingbacksoulandpurposeintoproducts.
DidyouknowthatthegiantbananabrandChiquita,whichissoldin SupermarketslikeTescoandAldi,hadthenameUnitedFruitCompany untilonly30yearsago.
Despite previous revelations they still run a global business that expropriateslandandpeopleintheglobalsouthprimarilyinCostaRica.
Don’tletanythingsurpriseyou.
Wecallonyoutostartreflectinguponyourbuyinghabits withthisonerule: Trace your product. Nothing comes from nothing.
Youcancheckthebarcodeonproductandgetinformation oncountryofmanufacturingorseekinformationontheirwebsite.
Iftheydon’thaveaparagraphontransparency(manydon’t), youcanaddressthisissuedirectlytothecompany, thatyouarebuyingyourproductsfrom.
NOTHING COMES FROM NOTHING
Radicalmovementsoftenemergealongsidecapitalistic powerprojects.
Insteadoftakingaone-sidedapproach, wecanchoosetofosterdeeperunderstandingandco-create, muchliketheartisanswhopatientlycollaborateinthe workshop.
Thetimetochangewhatwe'vebegunisnow.
This little handbook is made out of compostable paper, but don’t throw it in your recycle bin already. Pass it on to your amigos.
User manual 2.0. Photocredits:PuraUtzandAstridSøby 1'stedition2024
