Pattern names the place
Kaqchikel, K'iche', and Mam bands keep community authorship visible in every register.
Lightning carries witness
Kab'awil zigzags mark endurance through colonial overlay and the 1981-83 violence.
Ixim makes time legible
Corn-cob repeats count seasons, dye pots, and family teaching across the loom width.
Quetzal green is not garnish
Emerald brocade identifies ceremony, obligation, and the hand that floated each weft.