In May 2003, June Anderson and Dr. Jenny Michael visited the Boruca Indians in the southwest of Costa Rica. With a current population of about 2000, the Boruca Indigenous Reserve is situated in the Pacific coastal mountains in the province of Puntarenas and straddles the Terraba River. There are two main villages - Rey Curre and Boruca, the latter situated in a lush, tropical valley. The area is remote, with almost inaccessible roads. The Boruca practice subsistence farming, and the only cash influx comes from the sale of their folk art.

The Boruca are the only indigenous people in Costa Rica that still maintain their Pre-Columbian weaving techniques. They cultivate two types of cotton - the native white cotton and a light brown cotton called tecolote. They remove the cotton seeds by hand and spin thread using the drop spindle. The Boruca have retained their knowledge of natural dyes, and the women weave on a backstrap loom. In the past, women wove their traditional striped skirts (mantas) and mens' belts, but by the 1940s Boruca women were wearing Western-style clothing. Today they weave small bags in simple striped patterns.

The Boruca are also known for their carved balsa wood masks and their hand-carved gourds which function as decorative household utensils. Nowadays, these folk art items, as well as the textiles, are produced for the tourist market, and designs have become more elaborate and innovative.