Brocade revival

As a son of the village, Mr. Y Ni Wa Byă, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoa Xuan Commune (Buon Ma Thuot City) was very concerned when witnessing the traditional occupation of the ethnic people gradually disappearing, the cultural identity at risk of fading. He was determined to rebuild the brocade weaving profession. In 2023, Mr. Y Ni Wa registered with the People's Committee of Buon Ma Thuot City to open a brocade weaving class for the people and campaigned to establish a brocade weaving club of the Ede people in Drai Hling village. The club had 9 members but only operated for a few months and then disbanded because most of the members were old, did not have a secure place to work, and each did their own thing.

Not accepting defeat, Mr. Y Ni Wa discussed with his wife to mortgage the red book of the house they were living in to borrow money from the bank to invest in restoring the profession. With the money, he built a spacious stilt house of about 100 ^square meters at a cost of 400 million VND right on the land where his family lived in Buor village for the club members to work and display brocade products.

After finishing the house, he mobilized and connected sponsors to support sewing machines, overlock machines and buy materials from the locals. His wife, Ms. H Dring Nie, also agreed with her husband's work. They mobilized and gathered elderly artisans and those who wanted to learn the brocade weaving craft and talked about their desire to restore the brocade weaving craft. Satisfied, 15 women in the villages responded and established the Traditional Brocade Weaving Group of the Ede people in Hoa Xuan commune.

Mr. Y Ni Wa Byă (Hoa Xuan commune, Buon Ma Thuot city) and his wife are passionate about brocade.

In the group, there are 9 people who know how to weave traditional brocade skillfully and will teach those who do not know. However, most of the members are not familiar with sewing, especially complex products that require sophistication and intricate details. Therefore, Mr. Y Ni Wa and his wife connect with organizations and units to teach sewing for free to members. Normally, the members do it themselves at home, and gather together on weekends to share and improve their skills.

“If we do not try to preserve it, the traditional brocade weaving profession will become a thing of the past. Hopefully, the brocade weaving profession of the Ede people here will revive” - Anh

Mr. Y Ni Wa Byă said that although it has just started operating, the members have made a number of products, from clothes to utensils, with per capita income of about 2 - 3 million VND/month.

Members will continue to learn advanced sewing to make more products such as fashion bags, school uniforms and sports bags. Brocade products are in high demand, especially among tourists. There are currently some customers who want to cooperate in purchasing.

In the future, when the skills are solid, the people can produce large quantities and ensure quality, they can earn an income of 5-6 million VND/month. The group will establish a club to operate more effectively and sustainably. More importantly, since the brocade weaving group started operating, the people in the villages have been very excited because the traditional craft of the people has been gradually restored.

Ms. H Dring Nie, Head of the Traditional Brocade Weaving Group of the Ede People in Hoa Xuan Commune, said that this summer, the group will open a free brocade weaving class for students in the village. The students will be given specific instructions on weaving silk threads, weaving brocade panels, measuring, cutting and sewing finished brocade products to maintain the brocade weaving profession and preserve the traditional culture of the Ede people, because it is a valuable asset that the previous generation left for their descendants.

At the door of her house, Mrs. H'Yar Kbuôr (Dray Sap commune, Krong Ana district) leaned on crutches, fondling the brocade shirt she had just completed with a passionate look. It was a product made not only by skillful hands, love for brocade but also by extraordinary determination and the journey to overcome her fate as a disabled woman.

Born healthy, but a cruel fate happened to Mrs. H'Yar Kbuôr when she was 5 years old, after an illness that caused one of her legs to gradually atrophy and then become paralyzed, she had to use a wooden crutch for the rest of her life. After crawling to grade 6, she had to drop out of school because the school was too far away. Pitying her daughter who only knew how to stay at home all day, H'Yar's mother taught her the craft of weaving. Constantly exposed to the loom, the love of brocade gradually permeated the little girl. To make up for her disadvantages, H'Yar had skillful hands and a special love for brocade, which was the greatest joy in her childhood.

Ms. H'Yar Kbuor and many Ede women in Dray Sap commune (Krong Ana district) are working together to preserve the brocade weaving craft.

By her teenage years, H'Yar Kbuôr had mastered brocade weaving. After that, she learned to sew on her own. A normal person would be skilled in the craft in a few months, but a disabled person like her had to struggle for years to be able to sew. Being good at brocade weaving and knowing more about sewing, H'Yar opened a small tailor shop in the village to earn a living. She can make all kinds of clothes, bracelets, handbags, clothing, school backpacks, etc. Her brocade products have sophisticated lines and patterns, imbued with tradition but still modern, so they are favored by the villagers and are ordered more and more every day.

In 2021, Ms. H'Yar brought the idea of ​​traditional brocade weaving to the Creative Women's Entrepreneurship Competition organized by the Dak Lak Provincial Women's Union. The brocade products of the disabled Ede woman made a special impression on the judges not only because of their quality, aesthetics, and feasibility, but also because of their strong will, touching and inspiring women to rise up. After this event, she was given an overlocking machine by a number of organizations and individuals, and was advised on new popular product models and supported in selling products.

The life story of Mrs. H'Yar Kbuôr has made many locals admire her. That is why when she intended to gather women together to maintain and develop the brocade craft, many people agreed to respond. In 2022, the Kala Brocade Weaving Cooperative was established with the participation of 18 members. Since its establishment, the cooperative has been a place for women here to share joys and sorrows with brocade, and have more work during the off-season. In particular, the weaving profession also brings them an additional income of about 3 million VND/month for each person, thereby helping them significantly improve their lives.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/van-hoa-du-lich-van-hoc-nghe-thuat/202505/tho-cam-hoi-sinh-6cc00cc/