Weaving experiences : a study of the learning experiences of two Maya weavers in Guatemala

This thesis is an autoethnography that explores the informal learning and teaching experiences held by two Maya weavers from Guatemala. I traveled to Guatemala where I conducted interviews and made observations in order understand how weavers learned to weave, as well as how they maintain the tradition alive by passing their knowledge on to younger generations. Through this research, I began to see the significant role ancestral and familial connections played within the weaving experiences of the Maya weavers. Culture and tradition were at the center of the weaving process, but the creativity and ingenuity of the weavers allowed for changes to occur within the weaving practice allowing it to stay alive. The experiences and perspectives of Maya weavers are often overlooked, but through this research I share how learning more about their informal learning and teaching experiences influenced my personal art educator pedagogy. Exposure to multiple perspectives and experiences can help art educators, like myself, create more inclusive art curriculum, as well as learn about different forms of teaching art that can potentially apply to the art classroom.