- This Otomi woman from San Pablito Pueblo is beating the bark of trees into sheets of paper for muñecos (paper dolls) which are used for witchcraft. In Mexico, before the Spanish conquest, bark paper held an important cultural role for religious ceremonies and books. Although methods vary slightly, bark paper is also found in Africa, Celebes, and the Pacific Islands, at one time including Tahiti and Hawaii where the craft has now completely disappeared. The rhythmic tapping is heard as one approaches the remote villages where papermaking is predominantly performed by women.
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