Between threads and ancestors: Cultural management and systemic vision in Oaxacan textiles

Abstract

This paper examines the ethnic textiles of Oaxaca from Bert Hellinger's systemic perspective, with an emphasis on the orders of belonging, hierarchy, and balance. Through semi-structured interviews with artisans from Zapotec, Mixe, and Triqui communities, four key dimensions were identified: the intergenerational transmission of knowledge, ethnic textiles as a symbol of identity, the challenges arising from globalization, and the spirituality linked to the act of weaving. The findings demonstrate that ethnic textiles are not simply commodities, but rather living cultural systems that intertwine ancestral memory, community practices, and market dynamics. While they face exclusions stemming from commodification, processes of intergenerational innovation also emerge, balancing tradition and modernity. It is argued that Oaxacan textiles contribute to questioning conventional management paradigms, as they point toward the need for intercultural and sustainable models that incorporate indigenous worldviews into contemporary approaches to cultural entrepreneurship.