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WHO AM I?
I’m Magadalena Sánchez de Bustamante, creator of ILLARI. I believe my personal history helps to understand the meaning of this business.
I was born in Jujuy, a province of Argentina. My childhood was spent in rural areas in the warm valleys of Jujuy. In this area, diversified agricultural activities co-existed and carried different cultural traditions: the traditional cattle raising taken cared by the local people called “Gauchos” and the agriculture carried out by important groups of indigenous peasants from the high plateau of Bolivia together with families from ancient colonial times. I’ve spent my childhood in this environment filled with diverse cultural expressions.
Although in love with my homeland, I’ve tirelessly traveled from a young age absorbing the unstoppable dynamics of globality.
I choose Anthropology as my career and profession which gave me fundamental tools for my education and vision.
Academic studies allowed me to understand thoroughly the meaning of the activities and the symbols each cultural sector in Jujuy contributes to society as a whole.
I chose to work with indigenous-peasant communities belonging to the Andean culture that inhabit the highlands of the Andes mountains either in the high plateau or in the Puna area in Argentina. At present, they live in isolated places under great poverty and vulnerability which forces them to migrate in search of some sustenance to survive.
However, many remain in their places of origin and still possess a great wealth of knowledge typical of their millennial culture. Unfortunately this wisdom has been slowly deteriorating due to the loss of markets, the “modern” society lack of interest and countless other causes.
Many years ago I began sharing their experiences and I started to immediately treasure their products. I’ve committed myself to working with all weavers to position their fabrics in international markets that are aware of their cultural richness and look for products made with natural raw materials which do not harm the environment. I am certain that if I manage to “link” both ends, the artisans’ knowledge may become an economic means that allows them to live with dignity in their homeland and according to their traditions.
The decision I’ve made committed myself deeply and constitutes a massive life challenge. It is essential to do both, some research into this region’s long tradition and to understand the demands and interests of international markets. We have been working and researching for 20 years and as a result Illari was created. To share with the world the richness of these fabrics.
I was born in Jujuy, a province of Argentina. My childhood was spent in rural areas in the warm valleys of Jujuy. In this area, diversified agricultural activities co-existed and carried different cultural traditions: the traditional cattle raising taken cared by the local people called “Gauchos” and the agriculture carried out by important groups of indigenous peasants from the high plateau of Bolivia together with families from ancient colonial times. I’ve spent my childhood in this environment filled with diverse cultural expressions.
Although in love with my homeland, I’ve tirelessly traveled from a young age absorbing the unstoppable dynamics of globality.
I choose Anthropology as my career and profession which gave me fundamental tools for my education and vision.
Academic studies allowed me to understand thoroughly the meaning of the activities and the symbols each cultural sector in Jujuy contributes to society as a whole.
I chose to work with indigenous-peasant communities belonging to the Andean culture that inhabit the highlands of the Andes mountains either in the high plateau or in the Puna area in Argentina. At present, they live in isolated places under great poverty and vulnerability which forces them to migrate in search of some sustenance to survive.
However, many remain in their places of origin and still possess a great wealth of knowledge typical of their millennial culture. Unfortunately this wisdom has been slowly deteriorating due to the loss of markets, the “modern” society lack of interest and countless other causes.
Many years ago I began sharing their experiences and I started to immediately treasure their products. I’ve committed myself to working with all weavers to position their fabrics in international markets that are aware of their cultural richness and look for products made with natural raw materials which do not harm the environment. I am certain that if I manage to “link” both ends, the artisans’ knowledge may become an economic means that allows them to live with dignity in their homeland and according to their traditions.
The decision I’ve made committed myself deeply and constitutes a massive life challenge. It is essential to do both, some research into this region’s long tradition and to understand the demands and interests of international markets. We have been working and researching for 20 years and as a result Illari was created. To share with the world the richness of these fabrics.