Desert Speaks

The Lost Palm Weavers Of Sonora

The Opatas were probably the largest aboriginal group in what is now Sonora, Mexico but by the 1950s anthropologists could not locate a single speaker of the native language. While the people may be extinct, the Opatas left behind numerous traditions. Join the search in Buena Vista, Sonora for the descendants of Opata palm weavers and explore the tradition of native palm weaving that has survived through the centuries. The women still weave in "hookies" - small underground cellars that provide the cool and humid climate needed to maintain the elasticity of the palms for weaving.