>A talk about Dhaka weaving from Nepal

>I went to Nepal for the month of September to visit with a group of weavers of the Limbu tribe. I learned about the weaving that they do called Dhaka weaving. This group of weavers has formed a fair trade cooperative called SiD Nepal, Society for Indigenous Development Nepal.

While I was in Nepal, I discovered that Dhaka weaving is also done by another similar tribe called the Rai. As the Limbu and Rai are minority groups in Nepal, they don’t get much support from the government. Because of this, it is difficult for them to make a living doing their traditional Dhaka weaving, and they have to make a living through other means. As a result, Dhaka is in danger of dying out.

Since I weave and I saw that Dhaka is a marvelous fabric, I felt compelled to go there and learn about it. I took photos and video of the weavers at work. I will be using this material to tell people about Dhaka and help generate interest in it.

If anyone wants to contact SiD Nepal personally to help them in their goal of selling their textiles in an international market, the brochure with contact information is here.