Teysha Is
Teysha is:
- A bridge that connects worlds (people, place, modern, natural)
- An alliance of cultures, respecting and celebrating diversity.
- An opportunity for the sharing of practices and principles.
- A vehicle for inner and outer exploration and discovery.
- An exercise of self-expression.
- A reminder of who we are and where we come from (nature).
- An example of peace through creativity
- A friend, an ally.
Teysha is an intercultural organization that strives to create sustainable fashion in the form of boots and footwear by collaborating with artisans in Central America and beyond. Derived from the Caddo Native American word for friend or ally, Teysha was born in Texas with the vision of working with tribes and cultures throughout the American continent to share and create art, connect people, and use business as force for positive change. America is a land full of diversity of color, in people and in nature, and it is time to recognize and value the richness of our common heritage.
Working with indigenous tribes from the Kuna of Panama and Colombia and the dozens of Mayan tribes in the mountains of Guatemala, Teysha has sought to be an ally with the descendants of the First Americans, Los Pueblos Originarios. By respecting their cultural identity, valuing their art forms and the knowledge, heritage, and history they contain, and acknowledging their collective consciousness and cosmovision, Teysha seeks to empower artisans to preserve, maintain, and renovate their practices.
#RENOVATE mind, body, spirit, casa, culture, systems
Native Americans throughout the American continent have survived in two main ways: through their native languages which carry knowledge and stories, and through their clothing, which weaves their ancestral identity and carries ancient wisdom within every hilo or batz (thread). In these super-connected, mega-globalized, and hyper-consumerist times, many tribes are quickly losing their language and abandoning their dress. One realization we have had unexpectedly diving into the world of fashion is that threads are the very thing that connect us to the planet, through agriculture, and to each other, through fashion. In Nature, diversity is the best-practice for positive healthy outcomes, and we see it in birds and other animals as well as in farming. We want to challenge the monocultures that hurt our planet and contaminate our health and our food sources, as well as the cheap, fast fashion that contaminates our earth through landfills and contaminates our culture through insignificance and disconnection.
In GuateMaya, it is entirely the contrary. Spending time with many different weaving communities in the beautiful, lush, green highlands has illuminated our consciousness in regards to fashion creation and exploded our imaginations and cognitive color pallets. A quick trip to Guate will leave you stunned and amazed by the colorful cortes (skirts) and huipiles (blouses) worn by the women. Embroidered birds and flowers of all shapes and colors fill the market streets and hillsides, with many men still using the traditional colored pants, shirts, and sashes. A country where 80% of its people are indigenous, each community has its own style, color, and pattern. The weavers who create these textiles are literally weaving their identities, their social and historical DNA, into the very clothes they wear, connecting them to each other and their ancestors through threads, color, and intricate patterns. Every detail is important and these textiles take weeks, even months to complete. We have so much to learn from these societies, and especially the very hands and threads that help their people remember their important place in the cosmos and connect with their heritage. It is this perspective, this connection with land, language, and nature, that is being defended and protected in North Dakota by the Sioux, Lakota and many more tribes from North America and beyond. It is knowledge that is sacred and spiritual.
Mayan people are the most elegant and eloquent of peoples. They boldly and proudly don their colorful threads as brilliant individuals, and at the same time, part of a greater community and story. We are all part of a greater human story, and we must remember our indigenous soul in order to heal ourselves and thus the planet.Textiles connect us and protect us. They are filled with magic, soul <sole> *sol* power, and stories of human survival.
Why Boots? ¿Por Qué Botas?
Since the first Kuna Kicks were created working with communities in Panama and Colombia, Teysha has evolved through relentless travel and an inspiring determination that learns from failure and experimentation. Now, having developed a team of artisans from Pastores, Guatemala, Teysha has nailed down 5 boot styles, smoking slippers, and sandals, with many designs and prototypes in development. The colors and patterns in the Mola textiles and Mayan weavings have caught eyes and blown minds of all who witness their production, admire their use and beauty, and connect with their majesty. Incorporating these art forms into shoes has made them mobile, giving new life to the threads, transporting them across borders and cultures, and continually carrying and transmitting their messages through time and space. Through serendipitous encounters and the power of human connection, Teysha has built a network that connects weavers to artisan shoemakers to artists, troubadours, tech entrepreneurs, horse riders, mothers, protectors, Texans, and Americans from North and South. Peace to all the boot-wearers weaving worlds!
- Boots carry us near and far, to new places, up mountains, over obstacles AND across borders.
- They connect us with the Earth, Dancing through fields, at festivals, in city streets, or on stage.
- Boots protect us. Represent us. Support us in acts of adventure, peace, protest and service.
- They expressively reveal our growth, experience, endurance, and triumph in their wear.
Fashion is an expression that connects us and holds meaning. We put meaning on sports sweatshirts, rock band tees, and Air Jordans, and why not? They help us feel, fly, and feel fly! The threads carry significance and story.
One-of-a kind- Designed by YOU.
Crowdsourced, Democratic Fashion.
People-Powered Boots.
We need more builders and bridges, not walls that provide fictitious protection from perceived threats. We need more boots on the ground. Boots of peace built with heart and SOL. Boots that don’t fear the foreign or avoid what is uncomfortable, that walk confidently into the unknown and stand strong for humanity and mother Earth.
Customize a pair of boots with handwoven textiles or a special embroidered design to help activate and support artisan cooperatives and artists in Central America and beyond!
The Revolution WILL put Y O U in Driver’s seat.
DK Nomad- We are Dani and Kristin, two Teysha allies who have been traveling around America connecting, learning, and building bridges. From Ohio to Texas to Mexico, Guatemala and Panama, we have experienced incredible hospitality and unforgettable adventure with the most admirable and beautiful humans. From the city to the campo, at music festivals, from the desert to the the mountains, we are revealing the magic and wonder of this American continent one serendipitous human encounter at a time. ¡Gracias Gente, Gracias Universo!
If you are interested in becoming a TEYSHA ALLY, or have any other cosmic inquiries, email dk@teysha.is
Follow Teysha on instagram @teysha_world for more behind the scenes adventures