Authentic Wayuu SUSU Mochila Bag – buy a good to 'do good'

Approximate Measurements of the SUSU Mochila:
- Capacity: 12 - 13 Liters
- Height: 10.6 - 11.4 in (27 - 29 cm)
- Opening Width: 9.1 - 10.2 in (23 - 26 cm)
- Handle's Length: 18.5 - 20.1 in (47 - 51 cm)

Mochila Shades of Colour: Beige, Pink, Red, Spring Green, Green

Fancy and Colourful Summer Bag Mochila SUSU. Authentic hand woven Wayuu Colombian handbag or what the Wayuu call 'Susu'. Ideal women's bag for Everyday use, Travelling, as a Shopping bag or fantastic Beach bag! This tribal eco chic Wayuu SUSU handbag is unquestionably unique (in colour and design) and no one else can have the same SUSU Mochila! Hecho a Mano en Colombia (handmade in Colombia).

Ethnic, Colourful, Foldable, Durable and Resistant this Colombian Wayuu Mochila is meticulously hand woven with love and care by one Wayuu Woman from the 'ARTE WAYUU' group lead by Iris Aguilar (see authenticity tag picture). It took approximately one month to complete this Wayuu Mochila Bag. This is not an imitation. The Mochila is all hand woven with cotton thread. It has a compact circular base with a unique design that meshes with the overall inimitable design woven all around the Mochila and its handle. Beautiful fringes and a string that can be pulled to fasten the opening.

In the Matriarchical Wayuu society the Art of Sewing is the area of expertise of the Wayuu women. The endangered Amerindian Wayuu people had a tough history and still risk extinction. Through out their history an activity that endured allowing them to cherish their traditions is the weaving of the SUSU Mochila. Sewing is a cultural activity that has been passed on from their ancestors. Through the unique designs hand woven into the Mochila the women keep their ancestors wisdom alive and express feelings about the Wayuu concept of life. SUSU is the name of the Mochila in Wayuunaiki and it means 'that which walks with one'.

Importance of Authenticity and the 'Arte Wayuu' group:
Click here to view the ARTE WAYUU Authenticity Tag (the picture is to illustrate the tag)

As the Mochila fashion grows vendors claim to be selling Authentic Mochilas Wayuu but they are imitations. You can surely find a few Wayuu Colombian Mochilas at lower or higher prices on the internet. They are beautiful as well; but they are not Authentic (check for a Wayuu Association or Group Tag) and by purchasing them you are not guaranteed that the wayuu people (if they were Wayuu people in the first place) who created them are given a fair share of the profit. The commercialization of the Wayuu Mochila is a good thing but it does not 'do good' if it is not authenticated by a Wayuu Association or Group.

It is very difficult to find Authentic Wayuu Mochila Designs. Here you can only buy Authentic Wayuu Mochilas - comes with Group's Authenticity Tag - that has been crafted (in the traditional way) by the Wayuu of the Guajira Desert in Colombia.

The Wayuu Mochila available here is purchased directly from the group of Native Colombian Wayuu Women that weave them. The group is called ARTE WAYUU, composed of over 300 Wayuu women lead by Iris Aguilar. Leader Iris Aguilar receives the cash and makes sure it is properly invested into the Wayuu Tribes activities and well being. The money goes in the right hands. ARTE WAYUU guarantees the authenticity (see picture of tag) of this Mochila Susu. By doing so Cumbiart and FP can guarantee to you that the purchase of this Mochila directly sustains the Wayuu way of life and economy. By purchasing an authentic Mochila Wayuu we contribute in preserving the existence of an endangered species and safeguard a world's cultural heritage. Find out how the Mochila SUSU is an integral part of the Wayuu culture; click here

Wayuu Art of Sewing and the Myth of the Spider:

Wale'Keru, The Spinning Spider: Wayuu myth about the origins of weaving

''The Wayuu believe that weaving is an art they learnt from Wale’Keru. The legend says that Wale’Keru lost her mother when she was very young and unfortunately she was left in her father’s sisters’ care, who only treated her well when he was around. Like all Wayuu men, her father spent a lot of time outside home, and when young she was the object of mistreatment: during the day she worked at domestic tasks and at night she was forced to sleep in the ashes in the kitchen. One day, when he woke up, Wale’Keru’s father found a beautiful woven cloth beside his hammock. Wanting to give thanks, he asked who had made it and his sisters told him it had been them. After this, Wale’Keru’s father would find a new woven cloth every morning. One night, wondering what his daughter did at night, he walked to the place where the girl would retire to at the end of each day, and he was deeply surprised to find that the mysterious and skilful weaver was his small daughter. A little before dawn, Wale’Keru’s father, who had hidden from his daughter, pained because of the lack of attention he had been giving her, decided to talk to her and ask for forgiveness, with the bad luck that, when seen, Wale’Keru turned into a spider and ran away from home for ever'' (source: belive.com, Mochila Project)

Wayuu girls, during their puberty rituals (when they were taught how to become a woman and female labor) were taught the art of sewing and thus became skilled with their hands and crafted extraordinary Wayuu Susu Mochilas. The designs are inspired by their creativity, spiritual culture and include traditional ancestral designs (unique to the Wayuu). Find out more by clicking here.

Click here if you want to know more about the Mochilas and how we get them to you.

Español: Aquí puede Comprar Espetacular y Autentica Mochila Guajira Wayuu y Mochilas Arhuacos. Los mejores precios en Internet. Entrega dentro y fuera de América Latina! Utilice el traductor de Google a su izquierda para para leer el texto anterior en español.

Italiano: Moda Etnica Borsa Wayuu fatta a Mano in Colombia. Borsa Originale Tribale Colombiana ideale per la spiaggia fare la spesa e da viaggio. Unica e inimitabile. Usate il traduttore di Google a la vostra sinistra per tradurre il testo.