Guano Rugs: saving our cultural heritage

Abstract

For centuries, the knotted rug weaving technique has represented the identity of the Guano canton in Ecuador. However, nowadays the inability to monetize this artisanal knowledge has stagnated the development of its community. The revenue decline led the entire canton to diversify its trades and lose its textile heritage. Furthermore, faced with the low demand for their activities, many of the artisans have become susceptible to the exploitation of abusive intermediaries, the appropriation of their trades, unfair remuneration, among other problems that keep newer generations away from learning their craft. Additionally, the lack of adequate training to defend and adapt their knowledge to a contemporary context threatens the Guano knotted rugs with an imminent artisanal extinction.

This essay is part of a research and practical initiative called "Alfombras de Guano: El Proyecto", which emerged in 2017 from Universidad San Francisco de Quito"™s School of Architecture and Interior Design (CADI). Since then, a plan for the future has been designed alongside the artisans, aiming to meet the fourth UN Sustainable Development Goal. The rug"™s redesign, craftsman"™s training, and the creation of exposition platforms are the channels for the revitalization of the Guano canton in the medium and long run. The successful application of this plan has the potential to become a case study for other artisanal communities in the region, answering the question: How can artisanal knowledge be protected and enhanced through education, so that it becomes a channel of economic development for small communities?