Huichol

Infobox ethnic group
group=Huichol
"Wixáritari"
poptime=Mexico:approx 26,000
popplace=Mexico (Nayarit, Jalisco, Zacatecas, Durango)
rels= Shamanism, Animism
langs=Huichol, Spanish,
related=Cora, Tepehuán, Yaqui, TarahumaraThe Huichol or Wixáritari are an indigenous ethnic group of western central Mexico, living in the Sierra Madre Occidental range in the Mexican states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Zacatecas, and Durango. They are best known to the larger world as the "Huichol", however, they refer to themselves as "Wixáritari" ("the people") in their native Huichol language. The adjectival form of "Wixáritari" and name for their own language is "Wixárika".

Location

The Huichol claim that they originated in the State of San Luis Potosí but later migrated westward to the parts of Nayarit, Jalisco, Zacatecas, and Durango in which the rugged Sierra of the Huichol is found. Once yearly, some Huichol journey back to San Luís, their ancestral homeland to perform "Mitote" Peyote ceremonies. The three main Huichol communities belong to the municipality of Mezquitic, Jalisco and are called San Sebastián Teponohuastlan ("Wautüa" in Huichol), Santa María Cuexcomatitlán ("Tuapuri" in Huichol) and San Andrés Cohamiata ("Tatei Kié" in Huichol). Other Huichol communities include Guadalupe Ocotán (in Nayarit), and Santa Catarina and Tuxpán de Bolaños in Jalisco. However only around 7,000 Wixáritari live in their homeland while some 13,000 have migrated to other places within Mexico, and other still live in Cora communities in the Mesa del Nayar. [Phil Weigand, quoted in: [http://68.166.190.115/wixarika/Assets/pdf/THEHUICHOl-Wixarika.pdf "The Huichole: Wixarika"] by Juan Negrín, "Wixarika Research Center" (website), 2003.]

History

The Wixárika arrived to the Bolaños Canyon region after the arrival of the Tepecanos, who until recently inhabited the same region. There are numerous theories among anthropologists and historians about the timing of the arrival of this ethnic group to the region, but according to wixárika oral history, when they arrived to the region they currently consider home, the region was already inhabited by another ethnic group. Tepecano oral history also confirms that villages currently inhabited by Wixárika, such as Santa Catarina, were Tepecano villages in the past. [Schaefer, Stacy B. y Furst, Peter T., People of the Peyote. Albuquerque, Nuevo México, 1996, p. 49] In addition, there exists no stories of conquest or domination of the Wixárika by the Tepecanos in either of the oral histories of the respective ethnic groups.

The most commonly accepted theory regarding the origin of Wixárika is that they come from the region of San Luis Potosí and that before their migration to the Bolaños Canyon region, they considered themselves part of the Guachichil ethnic group. Central to the traditional religion of the Wixárika is the gathering of peyote (a hallucinogenic cactus) in the place that they call Wirikuta, that is located in the region of Real de Catorce in the state of Potosí San Luis. Peyote does not grow in the region of Wixárika, but he is abundant in San Luis Potosí, territory that was at the center of the dominion of the Guachichiles before the arrival of the Spaniards. The Guachichiles were known to be bellicose and fiercely defensive of their territory. [Schaefer, Stacy B. y Furst, Peter T., People of the Peyote. Albuquerque, Nuevo México, 1996, p. 43] It is unlikely that the Guachichiles would have let the Wixárika pass peacefully through their territory to gather peyote unless they recognized them as part of their own ethnic group. This is confirmed by oral history of Wixárika, [Thomas, Cyrus. Indian Languages of Mexico and Central America. Washington, DC, 1911, p. 48] as well as the similarity between the language of Wixárika, which is more like the language of the already extinct language of the Guachichiles than to that of their present neighbors, the Cora. [Thomas, Cyrus. Indian Languages of Mexico and Central America. Washington, DC, 1911, p. 23] Historical documents indicate that during the 16th century, the Wixárika had already arrived to the region that is today northern Jalisco. The writings of Alonso Ponce, that date from the year 1587, indicate that the province of Tepeque was inhabited by an ethnic group who used to unite with the Guachichiles to carry out attacks and incursions on Spanish settlements and caravans. [Sauer, Carl O., The Distribution of Aboriginal Tribes and Languages in Northwest Mexico. Berkeley. CA, 1934, p. 7] The Spaniards who explored the region that later became Jerez wrote that they were groups of Guachichiles in the region that had pushed out the Zacatecas that had previously resided there. [Gerhard, Peter, The north frontier of New Spain, Princeton, New Jersey, 1982, p. 98] Through this historical evidence one can postulate that the Wixárika arrived to the Bolaños Canyon region around the same time as the Spaniards. The arrival of the Spaniards to territories of the Guachichiles in Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí had certainly brought epidemics to the indigenous communities whose members had no resistance to the diseases of Europe. In addition, those natives who did not die of the epidemics suffered due to the concentrations and encomiendas carried out by the Spaniards in order to work the recently discovered mines of the region. These experiences are also documented in the oral history of wixaritari. [Schaefer, Stacy B. y Furst, Peter T., People of the Peyote. Albuquerque, Nuevo México, 1996, p. 45]

The Wixárika arrived in the Bolaños Canyon region looking for refuge and settled among the Tepecano settlements that already existed there. It is likely that there was mixing among the ethnic groups, as is evidenced by the many traditions, rituals (as the one of the use of chimales, or woods of oration, and the use of peyote in their ceremonies) shared among the groups. It is clear that the two ethnic groups would unite under a single leader to defend themselves from Spanish incursions and to mount rebellions against the Spanish colonial government. There is historical evidence of a rebellion mounted jointly by the two ethnic groups in El Teúl in 1592 [Gerhard, Peter, The north frontier of New Spain, Princeton, New Jersey, 1982, p. 74] and another one in Nostic in 1702.

Language

The Huichol language, Wixarika, is an Uto-Aztecan language (Corachol branch) related to Cora.

Lifestyle

s. For the most part, their diet consists of tortillas, made from the Blue, Red, Yellow or White "Sacred corn," beans, rice and pasta, with the occasional chicken or pig, from which they make "Chicharrones," chili peppers, all supplemented with goods provided by nature, like "weizz," a legume gathered from trees, or "ciruelas" wild plums and guayabas (guavas).Marriages are arranged by the parents when the children are very young. Huichol usually marry between the ages of fourteen and seventeen. Extended Huichol families live together in rancho settlements. These small communities consist of individual houses which belong to a nuclear family. Each settlement has a communal kitchen and the family shrine, called a xiriki, which is dedicated to the ancestors of the rancho. The buildings surround a central patio. The individual houses are traditionally built of stone or adobe with grass-thatched roofs.

A district of related ranchos is known as a temple district. Temple districts are all members of a larger community district. Each community district is ruled by a council of "kawiterutsixi", elder men who are usually also shamans.

The craftsmanship of the Huichol includes embroidery, beadwork, sombreros (hats), archery equipment, prayer arrows, and weaving, as well as "cuchuries", woven or embroidered bags.

The Huichol seek autonomy in their land, but have two governments, one native to the Huichol and one answering to the Mexican Government through "Municipal Agents" in the larger settlements. The government has established schools without much success in the Huichol Zone during the last 40 years, both church and state. A private Junior High School has led to some friction between "Town" and "Gown" among members of the tribe. Friction also exists between converts to Christianity, the scorned "aleluias," and followers of the old religion, which means the evangelicals and their missions are barely tolerated.

With the building of roads in the Huichol Zone in the last ten years, new influences are impacting the social fabric of the Huichol. Where mules, horses and burros used to be the main forms of transport, trucks are becoming more prominent, importing food, medicines and beer.

Religion and mythology

Their religion consists of four principal deities, the trinity of Corn, Blue Deer and Peyote, and the eagle, all descended from their Sun God, "Tao Jreeku". Most Huichols retain the traditional beliefs and are resistant to change.
*The "Huichol think that two opposed cosmic forces exist in the world : an igneous one represented by Tayaupá, "Our Father" the Sun, and an aquatic one, represented by Nacawé, the Rain Goddess" [Alfredo López Austin : "Tamoanchan, Tlalocan". U Pr of Co, 1997. pp. 169-170, citing Zingg 1982, 1:171] . "The eagle-stars, our Father's luminous creatures, hurl themselves into the lagoons and ... Nacawé's water serpents ... rise into the skies to shape the clouds" [Alfredo López Austin : "Tamoanchan, Tlalocan". U Pr of Co, 1997. p. 170, citing Zingg 1982, 1:525] .
*"According to a Huichol myth, the Sun created earthly beings with his saliva, which appeared in the shape of red foam on the surface of the ocean's waves." [Alfredo López Austin : "Tamoanchan, Tlalocan". U Pr of Co, 1997. p. 170, citing Zingg 1982, 2:187] "New things are born from "hearts" or essences, which the Huichol see in the red sea foam that flowed from Our Father the Sun ... . The Sun itself has a "heart" that is its forerunner. It adopts the shape of a bird, the "tau kúkai". The bird came out of the underworld and placed a cross on the ocean. Father Sun was born, climbed up the cross, ... in this way killing the world's darkness with his blows" [Alfredo López Austin : "Tamoanchan, Tlalocan". U Pr of Co, 1997. p. 171, citing Zingg 1982, 1:177] .
*"Kacíwalí is ... maize goddess. The wind carried her to the top of a mountain, which was given to her as a dwelling" [Alfredo López Austin : "Tamoanchan, Tlalocan". U Pr of Co, 1997. pp. 174-175, citing Zingg 1982, 1:555] . "Kacíwalí's rain serpents are changed into fish" [Alfredo López Austin : "Tamoanchan, Tlalocan". U Pr of Co, 1997. p. 176, citing Zingg 1982, 1:432] .
*"Komatéame is ... goddess ... of midwives. Both she and Otuanáka [another goddess] have tiny children in human shape, male and female" [Alfredo López Austin : "Tamoanchan, Tlalocan". U Pr of Co, 1997. p. 175, citing Zingg 1982, 1:558] . "Stuluwiákame has the responsibility to give humans children, and Na'alewáemi ... gives animals their young" [Alfredo López Austin : "Tamoanchan, Tlalocan". U Pr of Co, 1997. p. 175, citing Zingg 1982, 1:548, 556-557] .

Peyote

Like many indigenous American groups, Huichols have traditionally used the peyote cactus in religious rituals. Huichol practices seem to reflect pre-Columbian practices particularly accurately. These rituals involve singing, weeping, and contact with ancestor spirits."It is Wirikúta, where the Huichol go each year to collect peyote." [Alfredo López Austin : "Tamoanchan, Tlalocan". U Pr of Co, 1997. p. 173, citing Furst 1972b] "Before reaching Wirikúta, their final destination, they pass by the sacred springs of Tatéi Matiniéri ("Where Our Mother Lives"), the house of the eastern rain goddess. They cross steppes. The first one is the Cloud Gate; the second, Where the Clouds Open." [Alfredo López Austin : "Tamoanchan, Tlalocan". U Pr of Co, 1997. p. 174, citing Furst 1972b]

Animism

Huichols have traditionally believed that in rituals they interact with the primal ancestor spirits of fire, deer, and other elements of the natural world."A newborn, separated from its umbilical cord, will still have ... the agave plant where the cord was buried. When children grow up they need to obtain cuttings from their protector so that they can bury their children's umbilical cords under them" [Alfredo López Austin : "Tamoanchan, Tlalocan". U Pr of Co, 1997. pp. 172-173, citing Zingg 1982, 1:263, n. 20] . The "Huichol ... keep ... the souls of ancestors who have returned to the world in the shape of rock crystals." [Alfredo López Austin : "Tamoanchan, Tlalocan". U Pr of Co, 1997. p. 173, citing Furst 1972a]

Art

In traditional Huichol communities, an important ritual artefact is the "nieli'ka": a small square or round tablet with a hole in the center covered on one or both sides with a mixture of beeswax and pine resin into which threads of yarn are pressed. Nieli'kas are found in most Huichol sacred places such as house shrines ("xiriki"), temples, springs and caves.

In the past thirty years, about four thousand Huichols have migrated to cities, primarily Tepic, Nayarit, Guadalajara and Mexico City. It is these urbanized Huichols who have drawn attention to their rich culture through their art. To preserve their ancient beliefs they have begun making detailed and elaborate yarn paintings, a development and modernization of the nieli'ka.For the Huichol however, yarn painting is not only an aesthetic or commercial artform. The symbols in these paintings are sprung out of Huichol culture and its shamanistic traditions. From the small beaded eggs and jaguar heads to the modern detailed yarn paintings in psychedelic colours, each is related to a part of Huichol tradition and belief.

The first large yarn paintings were exhibited in Guadalajara in 1962 which were simple and traditional. At present with the availability of a larger spectrum of commercial dyed and synthetic yarn, more finely spun yarn paintings have evolved into high quality works of art.

The beaded art is a relatively new innovation and is constructed using glass, plastic or metal beads pressed onto a wooden form covered in beeswax. Common bead art forms include masks, bowls and figurines. Like all Huichol art, the bead work depicts the prominent patterns and symbols featured in the Huichol religion.

Some Huichol shaman-artists have acquired some fame and commercial success: the acclaimed Huichol yarn painter José Benítez Sánchez has had an exposition of his works in the USA.

Notes

References

*Furst, Peter T. (1972a). "El concepto huichol del alma." In :- "Mitos y arte huicholes". ed. p. T. Furst & S. Nahmad. pp. 7-113. México : "SepSetentas" 50.
*Furst, Peter T. (1972b). "Para encontrar nuestra vida." In :- "El peyote entre los huicholes". ed. S. Nahmad; O. Klineberg; P. T. Furst & B. G. Myerhof. pp. 109-194. México : "SepSetentas" 29.
* Miller, Wick. (1983). Uto-Aztecan languages. In: A Ortiz and WC Sturtevant (eds), Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 10: Southwest. Washington, D. C.: Smithsonian Institution. ISBN 0160045797. p 113–124.
* Schaeffer, Stacy B and Furst, Peter T (eds). (1997). People of the Peyote: Huichol Indian History, Religion, and Survival. ISBN 082631905X
*Zingg, Robert M. (1982). "Los huicholes". 2 vols. transl. C. Paschero. México : Instituto Nacional Indigenista.

External links

* [http://www.cdi.gob.mx/wixarika/index.html Portal Wixarika] – Wixarika tribal website put together by the Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas, Mexico. (In Spanish)
* [http://68.166.190.115/wixarika/wxHome.cfm Wixarika Research Center]
* [http://www.native-languages.org/huichol_culture.htm Huichol Indian Culture and History]
* [http://www.huicholesyplaguicidas.org/huichol_en/cont/proyecto.html The Huichol and Pesticides Project]
* [http://www.movingmedicine.com/huich.html Wixarika: Moving Medicine]
* [http://www.indians.org/welker/huichol.htm Huichol literature] , "Indian.org: Indigenous People's Literature"