At the heart of this tradition is Wallontu Witral, a collective of Indigenous artisans founded in 2000 by Anita Paillamil Antiqueo. The organization, whose name means “around the loom” in Mapudungun, is dedicated to safeguarding ancestral weaving techniques that have been passed down through generations. From spinning raw wool into yarn to creating intricate textiles, the women of Wallontu Witral oversee every stage of production, ensuring that their knowledge and artistry remain intact.
Now, as part of ‘Carolina Herrera for Women in the Arts’ and in collaboration with Carolina Herrera, their work will reach a new audience. A special collection created by the collective will be showcased at the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art in Santiago, opening in April. The exhibition features 14 handcrafted pieces, each embodying centuries-old Mapuche traditions—capes woven with symbolic motifs, horse-riding bags designed for practicality and beauty, ceremonial ponchos, and textiles used to swaddle newborns, woven by mothers throughout their pregnancies.
For these women, weaving is not just about craft. Through their textiles, they have preserved their identity, worldview, and ancestral knowledge while securing a livelihood for their families. "What we seek to do, first and foremost, is to valorize this work, the work done by hand," says founder Paillamil Antiqueo, reflecting on the collective’s mission.
Through their hands, Mapuche history continues to be written—thread by thread, pattern by pattern.
