Afro-Ecuadorian handicrafts are reflected in the damagua

Ecuadornews:

The Afro-Ecuadorian artisans of Esmeraldas work the damagua to elaborate a series of objects, in which they reflect their ancestral culture. What they most impregnate on this natural fiber are figures of afro women and men dancing marimba or landscapes of the north of Esmeraldas, complemented with oil paint. The damagua is a tree considered by environmental authorities in danger of extinction, from which they extract fibers to make a kind of cloth, on which they paint. 

The Indigenous peoples of the north used this material to make beds and even clothing. In bilingual schools in the Zapallo Grande community, it is still used to make crafts. Formerly, the Afro-Ecuadorian peoples also used the damagua to drive away the spirits, an ancient belief that prevails until today. This fiber was also used to heal the children since these communities are remote and looking for medical care was and arduous work explains the anthropologist Adison Güisamano. But the Afro peoples not only gave that use to the fiber but used it to shape their culture, as a canvas to portray paintings. (I)

Source: http://www.elcomercio.com/tendencias/esmeraldas-artesanias-fibra-costumbres-intercultural.html