Oaxaca Essay

The state of Oaxaca, Mexico is best known for its culture and indigenous people, it offers the best of Mexico, both old and new. Their oldest inhabited village, Teotitlan de Valle, can be traced back to 8,000 years ago (Penland, 2015). The cultures of the indigenous people have been preserved because the state remains isolated due to its rocky terrain. The state of Oaxaca is located in Southwestern Mexico, its most predominate features are its coastline on the Pacific Ocean and several mountain chains that come together (Henderson, 2015). These geographical features make it harder for people to travel to and from other parts of Mexico. Today, “17 distinct languages, Spanish and 16 other indigenous tongues, are spoken in Oaxaca” although Spanish is the official language of Mexico. In many places Spanish is barely spoken. The largest indigenous groups are the Zapotec 's and Mixtecs, their languages have the same root …show more content…
Wood carving has been an ancestral tradition since the Zapotec people (Henderson, 2015). Since the 1980’s, this craft is utilized to create Alebrijes. Talented craftsmen from Oaxaca, hand carve sculptures made from copal wood with colorful patterns and colors. These sculptures usually depict animals native to their land, such as armadillos, and are sold for profit. Men usually do the carving and sanding, “they recognize the figure within the wood, then use simple tools such as machetes, carving knives, and chisels to bring out the shape” then the piece is sanded and dried for months (Penland). Another huge part of the art scene of Oaxaca, Mexico, is catoneria or paper mache. Much like the Alebrijes, craftsmen create sculptures used recycled paper and other supplies such as paint and other decorative items to garnish the sculptures (CreaviteHandsofMexico.com). This urban form of folk art is utilized to decorate for a traditional Mexican celebration El Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the