What are Natural Dyes?
Natural dyes are naturally occurring colorants sourced from plants, minerals, and insects, offering a sustainable alternative to synthetic dyes. They can be derived from leaves like indigo, roots like madder, flowers such as marigolds, bark from oak or pomegranate, fruits like blackberries, and even insects like cochineal. Minerals like iron and alum are used to enhance or fix the colors.
Plants in our Garden, and they Dyes/ Colors they Make:
- Plains Coreopsis– orange, pink, rust red
- Japanese Indigo– blues
- Weld– yellow
- Cosmos– yellow, orange, purple
- Madder– pink, orange, red
- Hopi Sunflowers– maroon, purple, blue, black
History of Natural Dyes
Natural dyes have been used by humans for over 10,000 years, with evidence of their use in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, and the Indus Valley. Early civilizations extracted dyes like indigo, madder and cochineal to color textiles, pottery, art and skin. Dyeing techniques evolved in diverse cultures across the globe, often with remarkable and overlapping innovations. The earliest known surviving example of dyed fabric has been dated to 11-10th century BCE in the Timna Valley, modern-day Israel/ the Levant.
The transatlantic trade of natural dyes, such as indigo and cochineal, was deeply tied to systems of colonial exploitation and oppression. European powers established plantations in colonized regions, particularly in the Americas, Africa, and the Caribbean, to grow indigo and other valuable dye-producing plants. These plantations relied heavily on the labor of enslaved African people and oppressed Indigenous populations, who were forced to work under brutal and dehumanizing conditions.
The production of natural dyes required intense labor, from cultivating and harvesting plants to processing them into dye. This work was often dangerous, involving exposure to chemicals and poor working conditions. Additionally, the expansion of monocultural dye production displaced local agricultural practices, disrupted ecosystems, and destroyed Indigenous ways of life.
By extracting these resources and labor, colonial powers profited immensely, fueling their economies, exalting their wealth and power, while leaving exploited communities impoverished and disenfranchised. The legacy of this exploitation continues to impact these regions and their descendants today.
Enslaved people from West Africa brought knowledge of indigo dyeing to Southern States. At the height of colonial production in the 18th Century, indigo sales were more profitable than sugar and cotton combined. Indigo cakes were even used as currency during the American Revolution.
