With the scent of poleo and the yellow hues of jarilla. A tribute to the artisans of Valle Fértil (San Juan)

Authors

  • Patricia Dreidemie National University of Río Negro (UNRN), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Surcos Patagónicos Civil Association
  • Rosa Ramona Herrera Burgoa Cultural manager for artisans in Valle Fértil (San Juan) Argentina

Abstract

Based on ethnographic research conducted during 2021-2022, in which we visited and interviewed artisans (mostly from rural areas) in the Valle Fértil Department (San Juan, Argentina), this article presents a brief overview of the area's traditional handicrafts, showcasing some of them through photographs. The artisans of this region use leather, wood, metals, stones, coirón grass, and locally available textile fibers. Using techniques learned by observing their elders, they create high-quality crafts. This selection aims to pay tribute to the artisans, highlight the diverse local arts passed down through generations in Valle Fértil, and share the artisans' own words by reproducing excerpts from the interviews. All photographs and texts have been reviewed and approved by the artisans, and their consent has been obtained for publication. The fieldwork and postcard design were funded through the project “Development of graphic and digital material for the enhancement of the rural artisan heritage of Valle Fértil”, belonging to the “Cultural Entrepreneur 2019” Call of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the province of San Juan.

Author Biographies

Patricia Dreidemie, National University of Río Negro (UNRN), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Surcos Patagónicos Civil Association

She holds a PhD in Anthropological Linguistics from the University of Buenos Aires and a Master's degree in Discourse Analysis (UBA). She is a researcher at CONICET (National Scientific and Technical Research Council), a tenured professor in the Linguistics Department at the National University of Río Negro (Argentina), and the current director of the Center for Studies of Literature, Language, its Learning and Teaching (CELLAE) at the same university. She is a member of the Network for Information and Discussion on Archaeology and Heritage (RIDAP). She works on rural development and technology transfer projects with peasant, Indigenous, and migrant communities, studying communalization processes and ethnically based socio-productive networks through ethnographic fieldwork in Patagonia and Cuyo. She specializes in the traditional crafts sector. She coordinated the first survey of artisans in the Sierras de Valle Fértil (San Juan, Argentina), and currently co-directs, together with Ivana Carina Jofré, the Multiannual Project (PIP-CONICET) (2023/2025) “Ethnography of heritage processes in San Juan and La Rioja”.

Rosa Ramona Herrera Burgoa, Cultural manager for artisans in Valle Fértil (San Juan) Argentina

She is a member of a multi-generational family of artisans (rope makers and weavers) from the Valle Fértil Department (San Juan, Argentina). From childhood, she has been involved in her family's artisan work, participating in fairs, festivals, and competitions, as well as collaborating in the various stages of production and marketing of handicrafts. A teacher by training, she currently works as a community liaison for artisans and small rural producers in the Valle Fértil Department, promoting community organizing among farmers and collaborating as a cultural manager with the cultural departments of the municipality and the province of San Juan. She participated in the first survey of artisans in the Sierras de Valle Fértil (San Juan, Argentina) in 2022/2023.

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Published

2026-01-31

How to Cite

Dreidemie, P., & Herrera Burgoa, R. R. (2026). With the scent of poleo and the yellow hues of jarilla. A tribute to the artisans of Valle Fértil (San Juan). Memorias Disidentes. Revista De Estudios críticos Del Patrimonio, Archivos Y Memorias, 3(5), 278–295. Retrieved from https://ojs.unsj.edu.ar/index.php/Mdis/article/view/1430

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 5 (2026): Handicrafts. Sensitive art from the margins

Section

Lenguajes Instituyentes

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Patricia Dreidemie, Rosa Ramona Herrera Burgoa

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