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.
It’saninvitationtoreflectonyourconsumption anditsplaceinthebroaderecosystemoflivingandnon-livingthings.
Wehopetoinspiremoresustainableandresponsibleglobalsupplychains.
Thisguideisforeveryone,whetheryou’reacustomerorsimplycurious aboutwhereyourbelongingscomefrom.
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.
Thesignificantsymbolisminthefruit-shapedjewelry remainsacircumstanceratherthananopportunity.
Anewnarrativehasunfolded.
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 or make a pot for your seeds. Go to our website to see “origami seed starter”.
User manual 2.0. Photocredits:PuraUtzandAstridSøby 1'stedition2024
