Cheque Oitedie Cooperative

Traditionally, the women harvested the dajudie plant (Bromelia hieronymi), common to the Chaco woodland, to weave skirts, bedspreads, and many different types of bags used for hunting and gathering. Today, in Santa Cruz - Bolivia, the Ayoreo live in 23 communities, one of which is “Puesto Paz,”originally a mission settlement without the availability of wild populations of dajudie. Lacking access to their valued dajudie for 27 years, the women began to cultivate the plant, and are committed to the sustainable harvest of their planted areas. The Cheque Oitedie (best weavers) Cooperative was founded to strengthen their cultural identity through the maintenance and promotion of traditional weaving with dajudie fiber.