What is the traditional use and meaning of Arhuaco bags?

Arhuaco men carry at least three bags across their shoulder: one with bold designs and vivid colours named chigekwanu, used to carry personal possessions; another, a little smaller, made with either cotton or wool with the same designs as the first, which is used to carry coca leaves and known as zizhu; and a third bag made from fique which is used to carry food and tools for travelling. Women traditionally use bags made from fique, called tutugavu, which hang on their chests.

Traditional designs include gamako , a stylisation of a frog, symbol of fertility; zikamu, a stylisation of the centipede; and aku , inspired by the scales of the local Bell snake, symbol of time and space.

The Arhuaco people's determination to maintain their traditional way of life is greatly admired in Colombia. Their cause is aided by the dramatic inaccessibility of their home in the Sierra Nevada, the highest coastal mountain range in the world. Much like the ubiquitous maple leaf on Canadian backpacks, Arhuaco bags now distinguish Colombian travellers around the world. They have been adopted as a national symbol of resilience and beauty. Used daily, the tightly woven bags are expected to last half a lifetime.