Nestled in the Sibundoy Valley of Putumayo, Colombia, the Inga community continues to nurture a way of life deeply connected to nature, tradition, and ancestral knowledge. Their language, Inga Kichwaw (which comes from Quechua), and their understanding of the world is shaped by stories, symbols, and spiritual teachings that are passed down through their families.

For the Inga, weaving and beadwork are not just art forms, they are a practice of life. Each creation is born from the world around them, a deep respect for nature, and a sense of wonder about the beauty that surrounds them. These pieces carry more than just patterns, they hold stories, wisdom, and the spirit of a community that has preserved its identity through the hands and efforts of its people.

At the heart of this tradition is Inga Awaska, a workshop founded by Luz María Tisoy and Néstor Jacanamijoy Tisoy. Together with other women from their community, they lead a space where ancestral techniques thrive and evolve. It’s more than a place to make jewelry; it’s a gathering of hands and hearts, where each artisan brings their own voice, perspective, and a story into the pieces they create.

In their workshop, beads become more than decoration. They become a language and a way to express the Inga worldview and their relationship to the land. Each color, each pattern, and each carefully placed bead reflects a connection to nature, the cycles of life, and the wisdom of their elders and ancestors. Together, the women of Inga Awaska are not just making jewelry, but are weaving memory and identity into every creation.

We’ve been working in collaboration with Luz, Néstor, and the Inga Awaska artisans since we started Raices Tejidas. Through their work, we are able to share unique, handcrafted beaded designs that carry traditional symbolism, stories, and meaning.

Much of the Inga beadwork is rooted in their cosmology that reflects a worldview where everything is alive and interconnected. Ancestral designs are deeply intentional, drawing from sacred elements of the natural world and their spiritual teachings. For example, the frog represents fertility, transformation, and abundance, especially during the rainy season when new life begins to bloom. Another powerful symbol often woven into designs is the womb, which honors the sacredness of life, creation, and the feminine force that sustains the community. Many of these designs you’ll see woven on the chumbe, a woven belt traditionally worn by women, is also echoed in some beaded patterns. It represents protection, continuity, and the binding of sacred knowledge carried on the body and passed on through generations.

These symbolic elements are not chosen at random. Each piece becomes a vessel of memory and message, transmitting the values, stories, and sacred knowledge of the Inga people. Bead by bead, color by color, these artisans are not only preserving their culture, they are actively shaping its future.