How do I care for my HCHT bag?
Woven products are 100% pearl cotton and are not pre-washed; we recommend spot cleaning as the best way to clean your bag. Minor imperfections are a part of the unique design of each bag and contribute to the overall character of the design.
What is your return policy?
We sincerely hope you enjoy your Hill Triber product and feel comfortable contacting us if you are unhappy for any reason. Since each artisan receives paychecks based on the sale of individual items, we are only able to provide a small window for returns. Please contact us within seven days of receiving your item if you wish to return it. After that, the artisan who made your product may already have been paid.
How did you get the looms to make the traditional bags?
It wasn’t easy! You can’t just go to Wal-Mart and pick up a back strap loom. Back strap looms are a collection of variously sized rods that can be joined together, tied to something, and wrapped around the weaver’s back to create the loom she then uses to weave bags, shirts, and other items. Some of the Hill Tribe women brought back strap looms with them; others were made by friends and supporters here in the States.
Where do you get the yarn to make the traditional bags?
After a lot of searching, we found a company in Maine, Halcyon Yarn, who makes yarn that is similar in thread count to the traditional yarn the women use. The company describes the pearl cotton yarn we use as “a 2-ply mercerized cotton yarn with a lustrous sheen and a distinctive twist. It’s easy to work with, strong and durable. It softens with use and has a nice drape when woven in a twill pattern.” We’re currently researching sources of yarn that will benefit refugee communities in the Thai-Burma border area.
How green are your products?
We love the idea of having an environmentally responsible program. Wherever possible, we use green supplies. Our up-cycled product line reuses rice bags, common items in every Burmese refugee home, to turn trash into treasure for our artisans and you. We love that it’s good for the environment, keeps our supply cost low, and looks so cool. Our woven products are green because the women use their own power, not electricity, to create beautiful items. A woman weaving on her front porch in the evening, catching the last light from the setting sun while she visits with her neighbors and watches her children play, is about as green as it gets.
What is a typical Hill Triber class time like?
Our class times begin with attendance and new artisan introductions. Then the English speakers present attempt to learn a new word in the four to six languages represented. With the help of a translator, we receive new products, discuss quality control and work through business issues and questions. Then we spend the rest of the time in language and life skill learning. One of our favorite things about HCHT is what it means for the children of the artisans and staff members. At our weekly meetings, children of all backgrounds play in a sweet mixture of English, Burmese and their own dialects. Artisan children are exposed to English and educational games and toys while our children are exposed to cultures and languages outside their own.
Why do you call the artisans’ home country Burma instead of Myanmar?
The primary reason we use the name “Burma” is because our artisans do. The United States and England do not officially recognize the name “Myanmar” because the Burmese Democracy movement does not. The BBC news has a wonderful overview of Burma with several archived articles that help explain the political situation. We honor them by praying for peaceful regime change in the country they call Burma.
