to the 'Cuse

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.”

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

grow a certain kind of fruit and then sell it. So, what else do you do? Weaving is one of those things. They’re really able to be independent and provide for their families and not have to depend on metropolitan areas around Colombia. They’re able to keep their spaces as sacred and not have to necessarily move to the bigger cities, or let the bigger cities move to them.”

Aside from the economic freedom that comes with making and selling these bags, Tirado says that these bags represent cultural and emotional expression. This expression is what makes this art form so relatable across cultures.

“They feel different.” She said about the bags, “One might be harder, one might be a little looser. And that’s just the expression of the person who did it, of the women who weaved it. How tight she wanted to it, how loose, how she was feeling at the moment. I think that’s why they’re so loved by many people.”

Although bringing this unique art form to the Syracuse area is important to Tirado, it is even more important to her that everyone that she works with is paid fairly.

“I am in contact with a lady, her name is Vivian and she has her workshop. With Vivian of course, I speak in Spanish to her, that’s how the communications are,” she said. “It’s really cool because Vivian has this philosophy that she lives by, but now it’s almost like a rule in the Wayuu tribe…She doesn’t try to buy them for less. This gives me a lot of peace because I know that I’m getting not just a good price, but these people know that their work and their dedication is being valued. And that’s important too because I would never want to sell bags here, and put a face up and know that in the back that people may not be getting paid well or might not have the best work conditions. I feel like I’m leaving a good impact in their community and they’re leaving a good impact on me. It’s a two-way relationship.”

When considering better business practices, Tirado also sees it as a business owner’s responsibility to address their own environmental impact.

“I’m in the process of becoming as low waste as possible. For example, when I ship the bags, instead of using plastic packaging, I use a compostable one. Another bag that I put the bag in for protection, that’s reusable. And it’s a very nice bag, so people are able to reuse it. So no plastic essentially except for the shipping label.”

“So that’s environmentally what I’m trying to do,” she continued. “It’s the little things. It’s always shocking to me when I see Amazon boxes and mailers just so full of plastic and things that are not recyclable. It’s not too hard. It is a little more costly, but you can still get a good deal. So, I invite brands, especially small brands, to try it.”

With all of the hard work that goes into running a business that brings beautiful art pieces to Syracuse, Tirado wants her customers to remember that there is always another person behind a product. There is always another human being who is responsible for creating goods that are bought and sold every day.

“There is someone behind everything. Someone’s story, someone’s success, someone’s pain. Not that they’re in pain when they do this, but they bring so much of that emotion into a bag. There’s personality behind each bag and I want each person to know that, to rejoice in that if they ever get a bag from me. There is a whole group of people who benefit immensely from their business and they are definitely carrying a story. Their bags make people appreciate beauty. They make people appreciate art and something done with love and passion. I think that’s one of the reasons why the bags are so beautiful.” SWM

Patrons can check out Camila’s selection at the Regional Market on Saturdays or on her Etsy page at www.etsy.com/shop/shopwayuubagsus.