Preserving the community’s valuable assets

Ka Huong (born in 1991) is a young artisan born into a family with three generations devoted to the traditional brocade weaving craft in Ta Lai commune. For Ka Huong, brocade weaving is not only a way to preserve her ethnic group’s traditional craft, but also a thread that connects ancestral roots with the present, pays tribute to the past, and opens up new directions for the development of community life.

• When did you learn brocade weaving, and what inspired a young person like you to love and remain devoted to your ethnic group’s traditional craft?

– Ma girls in Ta Lai village all begin learning brocade weaving at the age of seven or eight. More importantly, I was taught by my grandmother and mother with deep devotion to preserving traditional cultural identity, and I learned from them the meanings behind the patterns and motifs on the brocade cloth of Ma women. All of this has left a deep and lasting impression on me to this day.

• What does the traditional brocade weaving craft mean to Ma women?

– For Ma women, brocade weaving is not merely the act of producing a piece of fabric. The weaving process itself carries thoughts, sentiments, and stories, and each piece of cloth embodies its own distinct meaning.

• As a next-generation custodian, what have you done and what are you currently doing to help preserve this traditional craft?

– As part of the succeeding generation and a beneficiary of the cultural identity and traditions of the Ma people, I am committed to meticulously preserving and passing down not only the craft of weaving, but everything connected to our traditional cultural heritage. Currently, I am running a personal project that includes an English language club, survival skills training, and activities aimed at preserving the traditional cultural identity of the Ma people for students in the village. At the same time, I am seeking brocade orders for the Ma women in the village, although there is still no dedicated space to showcase the products. I also manage a traditional performance group specializing in gong and dance performances. Most importantly, I am nurturing a plan to organize a class to revive brocade weaving for girls aged 11 to 15, but it has yet to be realized due to a lack of funding.

• We sincerely thank you!

By N.H – Translated by Dang Huyen, Minho