Thai Tribal Crafts had the pleasure of taking a student group from Tufts University in Massachusetts, USA on a cultural trip to a Karen village in the mountains surrounding Chiang Mai. The group, made up of 11 freshman students, spent one semester taking Thai classes, studying online through their university, and attending internship placements in Chiang Mai province. In addition to their classwork and internships, the program organizes cultural experiences for the students to learn more about Thailand. We are so pleased that Thai Tribal Crafts was trusted with the opportunity to lead the group on a village trip so they could learn about the culture, lifestyle, and traditional craftsmanship of the Karen hill tribe people.
Despite the rainy weather and the 8 a.m. start, the students were enthusiastic and energetic throughout the whole trip. We started off our visit with an introduction to the natural dye process and an explanation of the different plants that are traditionally used for dyeing. Everyone was excited to grind and pound the different flowers, leaves and bark to prepare the dye. Each student brought a white T-shirt so they could fold them to create beautiful patterns before dipping them in either blue (indigo) or yellow (turmeric) dyed water and leaving them to boil. After one hour, everyone’s shirts turned out spectacular – each with unique patterns and color gradients.
We also shared a delicious homemade meal prepared by our hosts, who are artisans that work with Thai Tribal Crafts. After lunch, the students were ready to head out into the now misting rain and see some gorgeous views of the village and agricultural fields.
Finally, students had time to learn about and practice traditional backstrap loom weaving, embroidery, and the loom set-up process with Karen artisans before heading back to Chiang Mai.
We’d like to thank Tufts University and this wonderful group of students for supporting Thai Tribal Crafts and the artisans who hosted us. Each tour directly benefits the hill tribe artisans and helps us continue our mission of providing economic empowerment opportunities and preserving the traditional culture of the hill tribe peoples.