E-commerce has found its way into the backwaters of the world, and threatened to disrupt some traditional ways of life and lines of authority. At the same time, though, the Web is giving craftspeople new means of exposure and financial opportunities they never had before.
Take, for example, a group of women from the Wapishiana tribe in the Rupununi hinterlands of Guyana, South America. For the past few years they have revived their ancient craft of weaving hammocks from locally grown cotton, and started marketing them through their own Web site (www.gol.net.gy/rweavers). In addition to hammocks for sale (checks only), the site offers a history of hammock making, a local tour and a link for Guyana tourism information.
Before the Rupununi Weavers Society discovered cyberspace, it had tried to sell hammocks to museums and collectors through the mail via the unreliable Guyana post office. Then, revising its business plan, the group managed to get a couple of telephone lines and about $12,000 worth of capital – and entered the Web.
Soon the society had sold 17 hammocks – some for as much as $1,000 each. This was quite a leap for a tribe that until recently had still traded goods for salt instead of cash. But modernization has been worthwhile, with hammock profits steadily improving conditions in this badly impoverished area.
Traditional roles, however, have not evolved. The commerce attracted the attention of the local male leadership, which began wresting control of the business from the women. According to The New York Times, the men eventually took over management of the site, despite all the efforts of the women. It’s unclear who is now gaining most from the weavers’ profits.
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