passed down for centuries, were on the verge of being lost. Ambar Past visited the many Indian villages surrounding San Cristobal and interviewed grandmothers who remembered their grandmothers dyeing yarn using natural materials. Ambar began collecting recipes, though frequently only portions of recipes had survived. By experimenting it was possible to reconstruct the ancient alchemy that was done in generations past. In the process new natural dyes were invented as well. This led to the founding of the Natural Dye School for Native American Women. Ambar crisscrossed Mexico, Guatemala and Nicaragua holding workshops. Since each event was site-specific, a different set of recipes was taught in each area depending on what plants and materials were available locally.

In the highlands of the southern Mexican state of Chiapas lies the beautiful colonial city of San Cristobal de Las Casas. In the heart of San Cristobal is a cooperative artist workshop for making handmade paper and innovative books. Founded in 1975 by Mexican poet Ambar Past, the cooperative seeks to preserve, support and promote Mayan and related culture, mostly in the form of paper, prints and artist books. Over the past 25 years it has produced several landmark books. In many cases the best stories are not only the ones found between the covers but the tales that record how the book came to be important in the first place.

A Dyeing Textbook Revives a Dying Craft

At the time Taller Lenateros was founded synthetic aniline dyes had so completely replaced natural dyes that the original recipes,

From the start there was a need for a written record that would preserve and pass on the new and rediscovered recipes to future generations. In 1980 one of the first publications of Taller Lenateros was "Bon tintes naturales," an 80-page bilingual (Spanish/Tzotzil) instruction manual for creating natural dyes. Inexpensively offset-printed on newsprint, the book contained recipes, plant illustrations, poetry, charts and a fold-out map for locating supplies in San Cristobal. Each plant description and recipe is in a separate section so it can be taken out to be used or shared individually.

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