Cresencia (right), El Quetzal's agent, collaborates with the Presidenta of the women's group in S.A. Palopó.
The resplendent quetzal bird, found in southern Mexico and Central America, is a traditional symbol of liberty in the land of the Maya, as it does not live in captivity.
Legend claims that the bird, which used to sing brilliantly, has been silent since the Spanish conquest. As the national bird of Guatemala, it is also on the flag and national seal. The country's currency is named after it.
Las Artesanas de San Juan was organized in the summer of 1987 with the help of a North American, using a single jacket pattern which we call “El Clásico”. There are currently about 120 Tzutzuhil Mayan women who are members. The group produces a wide variety of clothing, bags, accessories, tableware, bedspreads, hammocks, and more. A 7-member Directiva is elected by general assembly every 2 years. Most of EQ’s clothing has come from San Juan in the past, as well as the line of popular scarves in blended 3-color “mesclilla” combinations. The majority of the textiles are produced on the traditional Mayan backstrap loom, but a group of 6-8 younger women work on footlooms provided by and maintained by the cooperative, with El Quetzal’s assistance. A small team of women members accomplish all the group’s machine sewing. Unfortunately, due to a variety of factors including poor communication and project management, El Quetzal has been the group’s only significant foreign client since about 2001. 
