Coca Pouches from Colombia

Inga Helmreich Wiedemann
C o c a Pouches f r o m Colombia
Entre los Arhuacos de la S i e r r a Nevada de Santa M a r ta, las bolsas para c o c a son hechas de simples guirnaldas. La manija de la bolsa es trenzada. Cada clan tiene
sus distintos c o l o r e s y diseiños. Las bolsas de los F a e c e s , en el Sur de Colombia, son confeccionadas a base
de la técnica de eslabón s i m p l e . Su decoración consiste
en pequeños rectángulos c o l o r i d o s . La manija de la b o l sa es tejida en el telar. Los Guambianos (Sur de C o lombia) manufacturan sus bolsas con la misma técnica
de eslabón, pero el diseño consiste en triángulos de los
c o l o r e s blanco, azul, y r o j o .
1.
CCX:A
Coca is a shrub which requires a v arm and moist climate similar to that
in which tea is grown, and flourishes best at an altitude between 1000 and
1500 m above sea level. The ovoid-shaped leaves are harvested three o r four
times a y e a r . They contain several alkaloids, the most important of which
is c o c a i n e . Like c o f f e e , tea, and t o b a c c o , c o c a has a stimulating effect and
helps to suppress feelings of hunger, thirst, and fatigue.
There is much archeological evidence that the cultivation and cult of c o c a
have a long tradition in the South American Andes. Before the Spanish a r rival in South A m e r i c a , the c o c a cult had extended f r o m Chile to Nicaragua.
During rituals c o c a was chewed by the u p p e r - c l a s s e s and the p r i e s t s . Under
Spanish rule this privilege was gradually abandoned, and everybody felt f r e e
to use c o c a . The Spaniards paid their Indian workers partly with c o c a leaves,
which the Indians valued higher than money.
Ill
During the following centuries, numerous campaigns against c o c a were
launched either by church o r by government o f f i c i a l s who were convinced that
it caused the Indians to be lethargic and apathetic. Colombian and E c u a d o rian govern:nents have been quite s u c c e s s f u l in suppressing this " v i c e of c o ca".
2. THE COCA CULT IN COLOMBIA
Today, only a few t r i b e s , which live in the high mountains o r in the A m a zon jungles of C o l o m b i a , still chew c o c a ( f i g . l ) . The Amazon tribes adopted c o c a only after the Spanish conquest. They dry and pulverize the l e a v e s ,
and then mix them with the ashes of c e c r o p i a l e a v e s . T h e s e ashes help to
extract the alkaloids f r o m the c o c a . The mixture is chewed and then s w a l lowed.
The mountain people, in contrast, use c o c a in a traditional, quite ritual
manner. They believe that this " d i v i n e " plant was given to them by their gods
to make them m o r e thoughtful and v i g o r o u s . To enhance the r e l e a s e of alkaloids f r o m the l e a v e s , they use quicklime prepared f r o m limestone o r s e a s h e l l s . This alkaline substance is added to the s o f t p a r t s o f the l e a v e s . Both
are chewed o r simply kept in one of the cheeks. Only the j u i c e s are swallowed, the leaves are spit out.
Typical requisites of the c o c a cult are the c e r a m i c bowl, in which the
leaves are dried o r toasted, the flask-like gourd (span, p o p o r o ) . in which
the quicklime is kept, the lime-spatula, and the pouch, in which the leaves
and gourd are c a r r i e d . S o m e of these utensils may still be found among p e o ple who cling to the old habit: the Arhuacos, Tunebos, F i j a o s , F a e c e s , and
Guambianos (1).
3. THE ARHUACOS
The three mountain tribes of the S i e r r a Nevada de Santa Marta - I c a , K o gi,and Sanka - are collectively r e f e r r e d to as Arhuacos. They speak d i f f e r ent dialects of the s a m e linguistic family, Chibcha. Their habits and c u s toms are very s i m i l a r and derive f r o m the pre-Columbian Tairona culture,
archeological evidence of which is found in the vicinity of Santa Marta.
Arhuaco men weave their own clothes f r o m s e l f - c o l o r e d cotton o r wool yarn
and adorn them with narrow selvage s t r i p e s . Their costume is complete
v«th a tunic-like gown, wide pants covering the knees, and a cap protecting
the open shoulderlong hair. The cap is worked of hemp o r cotton with simple
looping stitches (2) o v e r a spirally wound c o r e of strands. The Ica cap (tutusome) is conical in shape with a truncated top. The cap of the Kogi (sgouba) is topped with a low peak and is worn by shamans only. The women wear
a toga-like garment with a loose s l e e v e l e s s blouse sewn of purchased white
cotton cloth.
112
Only the men are allowed to chew c o c a (hayo). The adolescent r e c e i v e s his
poporo and the lime spatula f r o m the shaman during the initiation r i t e s . His
c o c a pouch is given to him by his bride o r mother as a gift of e s t e e m . The
leas call it tutu, the Kogis gama, the Sankas z u z o . The women stitch these
pouches whenever they have their hands f r e e , even while walking. R e i c h e l Dolmatoff (1949-50 : 259) learned that each c o c a pouch s y m b o l i z e s the p l a centa of the Arhuacos' mother g o d d e s s . As another curiosity, he reports
that the stitching of a pouch in the s o l e p r e s e n c e of a man may be understood as an invitation to sexual intercourse (Reichel-Dolmatoff 1949-50:
259).
The pouches are made f r o m wool o r cotton by simple looping. With a big
sewing needle, one tiny buttonhole stitch is set against the other. The pouch
is started f r o m a flat disc of growing spirals called chipire. The number of
meshes p e r r o w increases outward by stitching through the loops and, in a d dition, through the thread-crossings of the past row (fig.13), At random intervals, increase rows are worked, until the spirals add up to a bowl, which
f o r m s the base of the pouch (fig. 3). Then the walls a r e b u i l t u p . The r i m of
the pouch is decorated with big loops of double s i z e (fig. 12).
The length of the carrying strap is calculated f r o m the future o w n e r ' s left
shoulder down to the finger tips of the extended right a r m . A continuous warp
is wound, the nooses of which remain uncut. One end of the warp is held by
the manufacturer's big toe (fig. 11, at point x). F i r s t , the sling that runs at
the extreme left and right is c r o s s e d towards the center in simple braiding.
It moves like a weft o v e r and under one o r two to as many as four warp
n o o s e s . In the center the two threads of the sling c r o s s each other and turn
into warps f o r the following wefts. Each additional r o w pushes them further
outward until they reach the selvages and are again worked in as wefts. After
the nooses have been completely interwoven, the loops on both ends of the
shoulder strap are fastened to the rim of the pouch with large f i g u r e - o f - e i g h t
stitches, a s s h o w n i n f i g . i l , at point y . Being m o r e loosely woven in the c e n ter than at the s e l v a g e s , the strap has a great flexibility.
According to Reichel-Dolmatoff (1949-50: 61), there exists among the A r huacos a system of well-defined c l a s s e s which originated f r o m certain t o t e m ic clans of p r i e s t s , w a r r i o r s , and c r a f t s m e n . Each clan hcis c o l o r s and d e signs of its own. The lea women reproduce these designs on the c o c a pouches.
Animal designs can be recognized on photographs of Ica pouches published by
Bolinder (1925 : pi, 28). When he visited the l e a s , only a f e w o l d women would
still know how to stitch these complicated designs. Now, multicolored g e o metric patterns, such as s p i r a l s , a r r o w s , meanders, and stripes p r e d o m inate ( f i g s . 2 , 3).
Kogi pouches, in c o m p a r i s o n , a l w a y s exhibit brovm transversal stripes on
a light natural background (Reichel-Dolmatoff 1949-50: pi, 16). Equally s i m ple are the pouches of the Motilones (Bolinder 1925: p i , 7 9 ) , a tribe related
to the Arhuacos, but living in the S i e r r a de P e r i j á ( S e r r a n í a de los M o t i l o n e s ) (3),
113
F o r m a l l y , vegetable dyes were u s e d . Dussan de Reichel ( I 9 6 0 : 142-143)
was told that batatilla (convolvulus s p . ) would dye yellow, a liana called chinqisa as well as the leaves of a tree called morado r e d , the leaves of another
tree named morito light yellow. Brazil wood produced a dark r e d , and f o r
black, iron oxide was boiled in the dye f r o m that t r e e . T h e s e natural dyes
are now being replaced by chemical ones which are cheap and less laborious
to handle.
4. THE P A E C E S
More " c i v i l i z e d " than the picturesque Arhuaco Indians are the P a e c e s in
Southern Colombia. They wear their hair short, and their clothes appear
less traditional. Dress making is the woman's task. Belts and the men's
naturally shaded ponchos are handwoven. The men's knee-length t r o u s e r s
and the women's colorful appliqueed blouses are sewn f r o m purchased f a b r i c s ( f i g . 6).
Life is hard f o r the P a e c e s , and many poor are f o r c e d to chew c o c a to
appease their hunger. Children of both sexes start between eight and ten
years to chew c o c a and prove themselves thereby able to work on the f a m ily's farmland. Coca is chewed together withlime powder (mambe). for sale
at the public markets. It is carried in a small gourd called kuetand-tuka.
Instead of a lime spatula, the fingers s e r v e to take the lime out.
Here too, c o c a pouches (kuetand-yaha) a r e gifts of e s t e e m , manufactured
by women f r o m cotton o r wool yarn. On a natural white background, r e d ,
blue,and yellow squares f o r m a colorful checkerboard pattern (fig. 7). With
sewing needles the pouches are stitched in a simple linking technique which
r e s e m b l e s the construction of a wire m e s h . T h e " o v e r c a s t i n g " o r " whipping"
stitches produce an elongated mesh whose openings are barely perceptible
unless the fabric is s p r e a d . The consistent c r o s s i n g s convey the a p p e a r ance of continuous diagonals a c r o s s the pouch, although no thread moves
more than one link to the right o r left of its original position (fig. 16).
The pouch is built up f r o m the bottom in several s e c t i o n s . Each section
starts out as a flat rectangular piece of predetermined length, which is c o n tinuously extended laterally until it j o i n s , around the pouch, its edge of o r igin. In this way the bottom is made by producing at first a narrow c o l l a r
and then pulling together its lower edge with a string to c l o s e the bottom
hole. Whence the ubiquitous longitudinal wrinkling of the bottom part (fig.
5). When the first section of about one centimeter in length is c o m p l e t e , ^
second section with twice as many meshes (counted in transversal direction)
is added. A third multiplication of meshes takes place after two more c e n t i m e t e r s . At a diameter of approximately six centimeters the base of the
pouch is ready. The walls are built in sections too, including the broad pattern stripe of c o l o r e d s q u a r e s , framed above and below by a round of t r i angles. About one centimeter b e l o w t h e r i m of the pouch, a pattern of small
holes (resembling the " l e n o " technique in weavings) is worked in. The r i m
114
itself is fringed by a b o r d e r stitch in herringbone pattern (fig. 15). The f i n ished pouch, s m a l l e r than the Arhuaco pouches, measures no m o r e than 20
c m in length (4).
The carrying straps are woven on a s p e c i a l , narrow loom (5). Its f r a m e
is a large forking bough f r o m a t r e e . This loom is leaned upright against the
wall of the hut. The weaving pattern is designed with the warp threads, while
the wefts stay invisible. The woven strap is taken off the loom without c u t ting the warp ends. Rather the loops at both ends of the strap are used to
attach it to the rim of the pouch (fig. 14).
5. THE GUAMBIANOS
Living to the west of the P a e c e s , the Guambianos (also called Moguex) appear to be better integrated into Colombian s o c i e t y . An all-weather road
f r o m Pueblito, their main village, to Silvia and Piendamo facilitates the
trade of their agricultural products in the marketplaces of the Cauca valley.
The tribesmen wear distinctive costumes in the p r e f e r r e d c o l o r s of dark blue
and carmine to geranium r e d . The women's shawls and the m e n ' s knee-length
skirts are made f r o m c o m m e r c i a l blue cloth and trimmed with a red b o r d e r .
In contrast, the cloth f o r the women's skirts and the m e n ' s ponchos is still
hand woven on vertical f r a m e l o o m s . It is g r e y , black o r blue, adorned with
narrow red and white selvage s t r i p e s .
With improving e c o n o m i c conditions, c o c a has lost its importance f o r the
Guambianos. Pouches once used f o r coca,nowadays a r e employed as p u r s e s .
The pouches (zore-urash) are stitched by the women in the s a m e linking t e c h nique which the P a e c e s u s e . Triangles f o r m the s o l e pattern. Each c o l o r e d
triangle has to be built up separately. All pouches exhibit the c o l o r s white,
aquamarine blue,and c a r m i n e r e d , c h a r a c t e r i s t i c f o r the t r i b e s m e n ' s c o s tumes. Though under these conditions the creativity of the pouch maker is
limited, no two pouches a r e alike ( f i g s . 8 , 9). The materials used a r e wool
and cotton, s o m e t i m e s combined within one pouch. The weaving and attachment of the shoulder strap is comparable to that of the Paez pouch (6).
In contrast to the Paez pouch s o m e simplifications are o b v i o u s :
1. The initial c o l l a r which f o r m s the bottom has already the diameter of
the finished pouch. No i n c r e a s e s of mesh number a r e made f r o m section to
s e c t i o n . The large bottom hole is strongly drawn together with a string c a u s ing deep folds towards the bottom (fig. 10).
2 . Below the r i m , there is no hole pattern.
115
NOTES
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
Rochereau (1961 : 9 0 - 9 1 ) comments on the use of c o c a leaves and c o c a
pouches amongst the Tunebos. His article includes a drawing of the knot
that is employed in making the pouches {Rochereau 1961: f i g . 11).
The terms " s i m p l e l o o p i n g " , " s i m p l e linking", and " s i m p l e braiding"
are taken f r o m Irene Emery (1966: 31, 32, 62).
Because of curiosity it should be noted that an imitation of the Arhuaco
type pouch is being manufactured in great quantities by the mestizo population which lives at the foothills of the S i e r r a Nevada de Santa M a r ta. The bags (span, mochilas) are fabricated f r o m hemp, customarily
striped with the national c o l o r s yellow,purple,and r e d , w i t h g r e e n s o m e times being added. One of those mochilas can be finished within one day.
Dussan de Reichel ( I 9 6 0 : 139) mentioned their popularity along the C a r ibbean coast of Colombia. In the following ten years their production
has increased s o much that students, w o r k e r s , peasants, and tourists
all o v e r Colombia now c a r r y their belongings in them. Recently these
pouches have appeared even in U . S . and European gift shops. They are
remarkably lower in quality than those described and photographed by
Dussan de Reichel (I960: p i . 8 ) . At her time, tasteful patterns were still
c o m m o n , and instead of a single crochet b o r d e r , the pouch's rim had
the same fringe loops as the A r h u a c o s ' .
F o r every-day uses other than the keeping of c o c a leaves and gourd, a
larger s i z e bag (vaha gwala) is made f r o m hemp by the same technique.
The ground of unstained hemp is decorated with a few random vertical
c o l o r s t r i p e s . Instead of dyeing the hemp thread, a string of c o l o r e d wool
(preferably red and blue) is plied with it.
It is no accident that woven straps are u s e d . P a e c e s as well as Guambianos are known f o r their industry of belt weaving, an art that is c o m mon to various tribes in Southwestern Colombia and Ecuador (within
the boundaries of the f o r m e r Inca e m p i r e ) . In Southern Colombia woven
belts and straps are called chumbes, a name derived f r o m the a p p r o priate Quechua term chump i.
As with the P a e c e s , larger pouches of hemp (guambias) are in use f o r
food and purchases.
REFERENCES
Bolinder, Gustaf
1925 Die Indianer der tropischen Schneegebirge. Stuttgart.
Dussan de R e i c h e l , Alicia
I960 La mochila de fique. " R e v i s t a Colombiana de F o l c l o r " , 2a ép. ,
v o l . 2 , 4 : 137-148. Bogota.
E m e r y , Irene
1966 The P r i m a r y Structures of F a b r i c s . Washington, D . C .
116
Mendoza Uscateguí, Nestor
1954 Contribución al estudio de la masticación de las hojas de c o c a .
"Revista Colombiana de Antropología" , v o l . 3 : 207-289. Bogotá.
Reichel-Dolmatoff, Gerardo
1949-50 Los K o g i . Una tribu de la S i e r r a Nevada de Santa Marta, C o lombia. ( P r i m e r a parte). "Revista del Instituto Etnológico Nac i o n a l " , v o l . I V : 7 - 3 1 4 . Bogotá.
Rochereau, Henri J .
1961 Los Tunebos. "Revista Colombiana de A n t r o p o l o g í a " ,
37-110. Bogotá.
vol. 10 :
FIGURES
F i g . 1 : Distribution of c o c a among indigenous tribes in Colombia (after M e n doza Uscateguí 1954).
F i g . 2 : lea pouch. Height 33 c m , width 29 c m , shoulder strap 87 c m . Wool.
C o l o r s : white, r e d , and black. Bought inSan Sebastián de Rábago in
1971.
F i g , 3 : Ica pouch. Height 31 c m , width 28 c m , shoulder strap 72 c m . Wool.
C o l o r s : white, orange, and blue. Bought in Valledupar in 1963.
F i g . 4 : Bottom view of Ica pouch (same as f i g . 2 ) .
F i g . 5 : Bottom view of Paez pouch (same as f i g . 7).
F i g . 6 : P a e z couple with c o c a pouches. San Andres, Cauca.
F i g . 7 : Paez pouch. Height 18 c m , width 1 5 c m , shoulder strap 87 c m . Wool.
C o l o r s : white, orange, carmine r e d , purple, and blue. Bought in C a l deras in 1971.
F i g . 8 :Guambiano pouch. Height 17 c m , w i d t h l S c m , strap 57 c m . Wool and
cotton. C o l o r s : white, carmine r e d , and blue. Bought in Pueblito in
1971.
F i g . 9 :Guambiano pouch. Height 14 c m , width 15 c m , strap 61 c m . Wool and
cotton. C o l o r s : white, carmine r e d , and blue. Bought in Pueblito in
1971.
Fig. 10: Bottom view of Guambiano pouch (same as f i g . 8 ) .
F i g . 11 : Synoptic s c h e m e of fabrication of shoulder strap by simple b r a i d ing.
F i g . 12: Decorative fringing of the Arhuaco pouch.
F i g . 13 : S c h e m e of fabrication of pouch by simple looping.
F i g . 14: Attachment of woven strap to pouch of the P a e c e s and Guambianos.
117
F i g . 15: Border stitch of the P a s e e s and Guambianos.
F i g . 16: Synoptic s c h e m e of fabrication of pouch by simple linking. The l o w e r section gives an impression how square and rectangular patterns
can be produced. The upper section shows a triangular pattern in the
making.
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