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Connect: email, text or WhatsApp +1-919-274-6194, FB Messenger, IG
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Why Travel With Us
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- We know the culture! We are locally owned and operated.
- Eric Chavez Santiago is Zapotec, born and raised in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca.
- Norma Schafer has been living in Oaxaca for almost 20 years.
- We have deep connections with artists and artisans.
- 63% of our travelers repeat -- high ratings, high satisfaction.
- Wide ranging expertise.
- We give you a deep immersion to best know Oaxaca and Mexico.
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Creating Connection and Meaning between travelers and with indigenous artisans. Meet makers where they live and work. Join small groups of like-minded explorers. Go deep into remote villages. Gain insights. Support cultural heritage and sustainable traditions ie. hand weaving and natural dyeing. Create value and memories. Enjoy hands-on experiences. Make a difference.
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What is a Study Tour: Our programs are learning experiences, and as such we talk with makers about how and why they create, what is meaningful to them, the ancient history of patterning and design, use of color, tradition and innovation, values and cultural continuity, and the social context within which they work. First and foremost, we are educators. Norma worked in top US universities for over 35 years and Eric founded the education department at Oaxaca’s textile museum. We create connection.
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OCN Creates Student Scholarship at Oaxaca Learning Center Giving back is a core value. Read about it here!
Why We Left, Expat Anthology: Norma’s Personal Essay
We Contribute Two Chapters!
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Meet Makers. Make a Difference
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Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC has offered programs in Mexico since 2006. We have over 30 years of university, textile and artisan development experience. See About Us.
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Programs can be scheduled to meet your independent travel plans. Send us your available dates.
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Designers, retailers, wholesalers, curators, universities and others come to us to develop artisan relationships, customized itineraries, study abroad programs, meetings and conferences. It's our pleasure to make arrangements.
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Select Clients *Abeja Boutique, Houston *Selvedge Magazine-London, UK *Esprit Travel and Tours *Penland School of Crafts *North Carolina State University *WARP Weave a Real Peace *Methodist University *MINNA-Goods *Smockingbird Kids *University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Tell us how we can put a program together for you! Send an email norma.schafer@icloud.com
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- WEAVE Podcast: Oaxaca Coast Textiles & Tour
- NY Times, Weavers Embrace Natural Dye Alternatives
- NY Times, Open Thread–Style News
- NY Times, 36-Hours: Oaxaca, Mexico
Our Favorites
- Cooking Classes–El Sabor Zapoteco
- Currency Converter
- Fe y Lola Rugs by Chavez Santiago Family
- Friends of Oaxaca Folk Art
- Hoofing It In Oaxaca Hikes
- Living Textiles of Mexico
- Mexican Indigenous Textiles Project
- Museo Textil de Oaxaca
- Oaxaca Lending Library
- Oaxaca Weather
- Taller Teñido a Mano Natural Dyes
Photography Workshop Summer 2012: Best of Day One
The day began with Magdalena at the comal — the outdoor cooking griddle where she prepares fresh, stone ground tortillas from local organic corn. All hand made, all from scratch. Her fingers work the dough to make empañadas, formed between two layers of plastic wrap. Her fingers are sprinkled with cilantro.
After breakfast, our morning learning session started in the altar room of our bed and breakfast. This sacred space is where all family rituals take place. Soon, a copal incense burner will be lit to welcome in the village festival to honor the church’s namesake: Preciosa Sangre de Cristo.
During the village walkabout after our session, we passed by the feria (the annual carnival) setting up rides near the market. Our instructors Sam and Tom led us around the back of the church, behind the municipal building where we discovered ancient adobe walls built atop a centuries-old Zapotec archeological site.
In the corner of the room where we watched a family make celebration and religious candles out of beeswax and natural dyes: a bag filled with used votive candles.
Beeswax used for candle making. another traditional and handmade process, taking over an hour to form the tall tapers, then make the beeswax flowers, angels, and birds that decorate them.
The candlemaker of Abasolo street, Teotitlan del Valle.
And, below, organic corn grown locally.
I took 517 photos today. The assignment was to choose the 10 best. I could only narrow it down to 11.
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