Indigo hands-Vietnam

The age-old tradition of

the Hmong and Dao Tribes

Sapa, an amazing and distinctive city that captivated me from the moment I arrived. I feel incredibly lucky to have spent time in Sapa teaching for the Sapa O'Chau Foundation. It remains one of the most memorable adventures I've had. The appreciation from the students and their families was remarkable. When the students returned home on weekends, the teacher was always invited to join them in their village in Lao Cai. These weekends were enjoyable and full of learning experiences. They involved me in fieldwork, caring for the buffalo, helping to mix the rice wine, and even gathering hemp and indigo in the fields. I have immense admiration for these people, who have so little yet are extraordinarily generous. They continue to earn their livelihood solely from the land.

**My gift, a Hmong coat for teaching these remarkable kids.**

The women create brilliant handcrafted textiles out of hemp and indigo, and I was fascinated by the entire process. This is the age-old practice commonly used by the Hmong and Dao tribes.

Every morning, the entire family, both young and old, would be in the field cutting down the indigo bush which is utilized as a dye. They also harvested Turmeric for yellow dye, Betel for red, and Indigo and Cu Nau for red/brown.

The Indigofera plant grows in Lao Cai and is only harvested from May to July, and it takes 3 big baskets to dye one piece of fabric. The dye is extracted by fermentation by using Lye or rice wine. Once the bunches are harvested, they are placed in large drums of water, rocks are placed on top to squash the leaves down, and it is covered and left to sit for 30 hours.

The indigo has now settled to the bottom, and water and leaves are removed. Next comes the beating process to aerate the mixture, lime powder is added and hand-mixed vigorously for 30 minutes, this turns the dye from green to a vibrant blue foamy mixture.

The fabrics are made from the drying of hemp fibers. The fabric is continuously dipped and dried for 6 weeks until the desired depth of color is achieved. The deeper the color the higher valued it is.

After they have completed the dying process, beeswax is rubbed into the cloth and the artisan balances on a stone, rocking back and forth to polish it to the desired sheen. It is an age-old technique that can never really be recreated with machines.

If you can find the 'indigo cat' craft shop in Sapa, they organize afternoon workshops in the town of Ta Van. Here you can learn the traditional Hmong dying, weaving, and embroidery skills. It is such a great experience, I never imagined Indigo-dyed hands could look so beautiful.

I am always amazed at the wonderful beauty and striking colors of the traditional Hmong skirt. The Hmong skirt holds a special place in the cultural heritage of the Hmong ethnic minority group. It is a tradition that the mother makes and gives to her daughter when she marries. It will be used to cover herself when giving birth and kept until she passes when she will also be buried in it. It comprises of red strips which are said to ward off evil spirits. The batik pattern is a symbol of the mice footprints in the fields, mice are a sign of abundance for the unborn child. A woman is buried in 2 skirts to promote a beautiful and happy reincarnation.