Efraín Medina (born in La Gomera, 1962) recounts how his time away from the Canary Islands as a migrant in Venezuela helped him “appreciate what is ours.” The current Councillor of Employment, Education, and Youth at the Tenerife Island Council acknowledges that the distance was crucial when, upon returning to the Archipelago and starting his political career, he decided to prioritize the defense and protection of the Islands’ traditions, particularly focusing on implementing various actions aimed at preventing the disappearance of artisan crafts – trades that other Canarian migrants described during young Medina’s Venezuelan journey as one of the main sources of income used by the impoverished lower class of the Archipelago to feed their humble families. “Craftsmanship in the Canary Islands has a feminine face,” he states about the role that “these fighters” played for decades, according to Medina, in the development of our region.
Beyond the consequences that the disappearance of artisan activities may have for small traders in the Islands, what does the loss of these trades linked to the historical identity of the Archipelago mean for a region as unique as the Canaries?
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It is a risk we cannot afford because they are part of the legacy of our ancestors. Artisan crafts identify us as a territory. They are the heritage left by those who came before us. Fortunately, today the island councils are working on the recovery, dissemination, and research of these at-risk trades. It is our heritage.
What are the most characteristic crafts in the history of our region?
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I would say pottery, as the oldest trade we have reference to; basketry and all trades using vegetable fibre, weaving and wool work, as well as various types of embroidery and crochet. These are some of our historical trades, although there are many more in the catalogue of crafts on our Islands.
Is there any particular area that is more at risk of disappearing compared to others?
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Artisan trades such as saddle-making or basketry, and anything involving the use of plant materials, need to be cared for and protected. Likewise, weaving is another activity that we must investigate and protect, as well as those related to our traditional clothing and accessories.
You are undoubtedly one of the Canary Islands politicians who has most ardently defended the survival of the Islands’ artisan tradition. When did you become aware of the delicate situation facing the artisan guild?
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Since I entered the Tenerife Island Council in 2007, I understood the importance of working on craftsmanship from an economic development perspective, protecting the trades while innovating. I realized that craftsmanship should be part of daily life, which is why we developed the Insular Plan to Support the Artisan Sector. This plan was even presented to Mercosur countries, and we continued to work alongside the sector until our efforts were rewarded with the National Handicraft Award. There is still a long way to go, but it is evident that many artisan crafts have improved in quality. I believe that, having been an immigrant, I was able to give immense value to everything that is ours, even from a distance.
In your direct dealings with these men and women over the years, you must have firsthand knowledge of stories or at least emotional situations of these individuals facing the fear of seeing their livelihood forgotten. Is there one in particular that has deeply touched you?
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There are indeed very emotional stories. I remember well the situation of many craftsmen during the pandemic. They were left with nothing: no fairs, no production, no sales… They were the great forgotten by public institutions. Solidarity also emerged within the sector, creating the SOS Crafts platform to demand equal treatment because in the Canaries there were many women, no longer with us, who were great fighters and thanks to their work in artisan trades, they supported their families while their husbands had emigrated. Without a doubt, the craftsmanship of our Archipelago has a feminine face.
From my experience in this sector, I also have some amusing anecdotes, like the one told by the late rosette master Clarita Cano, from Vilaflor (Tenerife), when Carmen Polo de Franco, on a trip to Madrid with the Tenerife artisan as part of Acción Católica, insisted on keeping Clara’s rosette shawl, but despite Franco’s wife’s persistence, the shawl finally returned to its rightful owner in Tenerife. I have also laughed a lot at the experiences of my craftswomen and craftsmen. Pedro Benitez, a master potter, also has many amusing stories.
What measures have been implemented to protect this sector?
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Firstly, we must understand that everything has changed in recent years, even the traditional way of marketing. That’s why we have been so ambitious in providing different lines of action in the Artisan Sector Support Plan, such as training, new sales channels, strategies.Craft marketing strategies, sector empowerment, support for marketing, cross-cutting work… It is a job with clear objectives, and the Tenerife Craft Island Company plays a fundamental role in this, where dialogue and understanding the sector’s needs are always our main premise.
Do you perceive a similar sensitivity in other local, island and regional administrations to yours and your team’s in order to prevent globalization from wiping out in one fell swoop those types of businesses whose presence has almost been limited to souvenir shops?
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Craftsmanship and its trades will always endure. It is true that we must adapt and find new market niches wherever they may be found; be attentive to what the consumer demands and meet their needs. I believe that, in this sense, local or island administrations should provide less supervision and more dialogue. Artisans know their needs better than anyone, and from public institutions, in order to achieve our goals, we should all move in the same direction. The island councils communicate a lot among themselves, and a technical commission also meets regularly with the Government of the Canary Islands, although personally, I would always advocate for a technical-political committee. The political leaders in charge of the sector in the Autonomous Community are also very sensitive to the sector; I dare to say that together, we will improve the development of our craftsmanship.
Does the future survival of artisanal activities in the Canary Islands depend on awakening the interest of new generations as innovative agents to add to this sector?
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Without a doubt. We need to talk about artisan design, innovation, how traditional craftsmanship can innovate as it happens in other places and also here in the Canary Islands, opening up markets… A few days ago, Rosa Dávila, president of the Tenerife Island Council, unveiled at the Arafo Local Fair some immense lamps developed by a Tenerife artisan specializing in plant fiber, commissioned by a prestigious hotel chain.
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Rosa Dávila pointed out that in order for Canary Island craftsmanship to generate added value, status, and presence, in addition to different political initiatives to protect everything that is ours being essential in the defense of this identity heritage in the Islands, that is the direction we must continue to move forward. Personally, I am pleased that after four years in opposition, I have been entrusted with continuing to outline these action plans aimed at promoting our craftsmanship. I am not deceiving anyone when I say that it makes me very, very happy.
