Formally established and registered in 1999, the gida t?nalak international is the marketing arm of the T?boli Cultural Heritage Foundation, which was itself established for the preservation, protection and continuation of T?boli culture and its artifacts. It is the thrust of the company, along with the foundation to improve the social and economic situation of the T?bolis since the acculturation of the tribe to mainstream culture is a recent event, and far from complete. Appalling poverty and illiteracy are still very much prevalent. It is our hope that by taking up weaving again, the women will have a means of livelihood, and therefore will be able to sustain their families, at the same time of course, continue the tradition of weaving.The Gida T?nalak International focuses on the T?nalak fabric because it is arguably the most distinctive representation of the T?boli people. Ultimately, the aim is to strike a delicate balance between upholding the dignity of the T?nalak as a cultural marker and as a work of art, and creating new T?nalak designs that will make it more accessible to contemporary times. Thus, there is what we call the ?Traditional Designs? which strictly use the three traditional colors red, black and white, and there are also the Modern and Contemporary Designs which are of varied inspiration and may be customized.The T?nalak fabric holds a special and prominent place in T?boli culture. It is ever present in significant turning points in a Tboli life, such as birth, marriage, and death. It is the medium which sanctifies these rites, enveloping them in the length of its fabric like a benediction. It has also often been referred to as ?woven dreams?. It is exactly that, and more. In a culture which didn?t have a form of writing, the T?nalak served as both Literature and Art. The T?bolis expressed everything they are in the T?nalak: their dreams, beliefs, myths and even their religion. Making use of the various geometrical patterns and the trademark
