Wayuu Taya Bags

For the Wayúu people, knowing how to weave is a symbol of creativity, intelligence and wisdom, a practice that is past on from one generation to the next. 
Guajira women learn how to make bags (called Susu in the Wayunaiki language) during puberty, during what Wayúu people refer to as “Blanqueo”. During this time, Guajira women can only be around their female relatives who teach them all the duties and social behavior that a Wayúu woman must posses. 
For the most part, the designs are patterns of geometrical shapes. Each bag is made by one woman; therefore each design is one of a kind. Weaving these bags is arduous work. It takes a Guajira woman about 20 eight-hour-days to complete just one bag.