Lilian weaving in the park. Photo by Scott Tsuchitani
Lilian Esther Martin Aguilar
Maya Mam Backstrap Weaving
Lilian Esther Martin Aguilar is a master backstrap weaver who grew up practicing the weaving traditions of Santiago Chimaltenango, Huehuetenango, Guatemala. She began weaving at age ten under the guidance of her mother and worked day and night producing textiles for community members, including huipiles, cortes (traditional skirts), fajas (belts), morrales (bags), and shiwil (rebozos used for carrying babies).
In 2021, Lilian immigrated to Oakland, California, where she has continued her weaving practice through Mam weaving groups with Mujeres Unidas y Activas and NAKA Dance Theater. Through these community-based projects, she has come to see weaving not only as a means of creating clothing, but also as a powerful tool for cultural education, pride, and solidarity among Mam women across the Diaspora.
Lilian is deeply committed to passing on weaving traditions to the next generation and is grateful to mentor her daughter, Yeraldy Ordonez Martin, through the ACTA Apprenticeship Program. She also expresses appreciation for the organizations and individuals who support the vitality and continuity of traditional arts practices.
Apprenticeship Program
2025
Yéraldy Ordoñez Martin will study traditional Maya Mam weaving through a hands-on apprenticeship under the mentorship of her mother, Lilian Martin Aguilar. This apprenticeship focuses on assembling a backstrap loom and weaving a traditional huipil, guiding the apprentice through each step of the process—from designing patterns and selecting threads to preparing the warp and constructing the telar using traditional tools. The apprentice will learn regional weaving practices from Santiago Chimaltenango, including weaving the base cloth and incorporating ban xuca (foreground designs). Through this intergenerational transmission, the apprenticeship supports cultural continuity, identity, and pride in wearing and sustaining Maya Mam traditional clothing.
