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SPECIAL FEATURE
SU student brings indigenous products to the ‘Cuse Alyssa Dearborn
“I
’m just kind of running around all of the time.” Camila Tirado, the owner of Apuna Handmade Bags, said about her busy schedule. Not only is she a young business owner, Tirado is also a full-time student at Syracuse University – studying biotechnology and French – who finds time to work in a research lab. Despite her already full schedule, she makes time to run her business and share the story of the Wayuu people. “In December 2020, I took a trip to Colombia just to visit a friend of mine. I’ve always wanted to go to South America. I’m from Mexico, so I’ve never been more south than Cancun.” she said when asked about her business’s beginnings, “So I go and I’m with her a couple of days. And then I see the Wayuu bags. So I’m very interested in it and I think to myself, this is something that I’ve never seen in the US. It’s original and it’s beautiful. I just thought that it was so amazing. So what I do is that I buy 15 of the bags and I say, okay, let me see how these sell and if people actually like them. Because maybe I’m just the only one who likes them.”
MAY 2022
The colorful styles and prints represented in authentic Wayuu bags have become popular as more people learn about indigenous arts and cultures. But an authentic bag handmade by the Wayuu people is more than a fashion statement. As Tirado became more acquainted with the Wayuu people, she learned just how important these bags are to the people’s livelihoods. “I think one of the things that makes me want to continue this is the Wayuu people and the richness of their art and their accessories that they have,” she said. “Now, [my friend] no longer works with me, I am the person contacting them. I have so much more contact with them and familiarity with the culture. Our cultures are similar to me because we’re Latin American, but there’s so much difference too. And now that I’ve gathered a group of Wayuu people, they’ve really helped me understand why these products are so rich.” “A big part of it is economic independence,” she explained. “A lot of Wayuu people live in these places called rancharias, where it’s not rich per say. You have agriculture, so it’s really common for them to
M I N D & BODY H E ALTH EDITION
