Ja weya ob’aj wij, ex weya nchemaj / Mi Historia, Mi Telar / My Story, My Weaving is a visual art and performance project created by members of the Indigenous Maya Mam immigrant community of East Oakland in collaboration with NAKA Dance Theater and EastSide Arts Alliance. Our project integrates personal and collective narratives, movement and textile art inspired by the weaving traditions practiced by women from Xjan Xwan Atitan, Chimb'al and Torasant, Huehuetenango, Guatemala.

We highlight the struggles we face as Indigenous women living in a world that devalues our work and tries to erase our voices. We claim the space, raise our voices, and share our wisdom and vision, speaking in our own Maya Mam language.

We welcome you to take in what we are sharing, no matter what language you speak.

We have made a deliberate decision to present the work in the Mam language, a rich, Indigenous language with many dialects. There will not be simultaneous interpretation during the performances, but we invite you to read a summary of the stories before joining us in the theater. (Summaries will be shared to folks who have RSVP’d.) Even if you do not understand Maya Mam, we hope you will enjoy allowing the sound of our mother tongue wash over you.

EastSide Cultural Center
2277 International Boulevard
Oakland, California

August 2-24, 2025
Saturdays and Sundays
2 PM
FREE (Tickets are free, but reservations are required)

Artist Reception and Guatemala tamales following the Saturday, August 16 performance

Photo by Scott Tsuchitani