The Huichol are an indigenous people who live mainly in the southeast part of the state of Nayarit, Mexico, in the Sierra Madre mountains. Their population is unknown, but estimated to be around 7000 people.
They have managed to maintain their religion and culture since pre-Columbian times, in part due to the remoteness of their villages.
Their shamanic belief system is based in Nature. They consider themselves the guardians of the earth, and their main gods are based on fire, wind, water, and sun.
In order to become a shaman the Huichol must
make a pilgrimage to Wirikuta, their sacred land, 5 years in a row. It is
here that they gather their peyote and use it to commune with the Universal
forces. It is through these pilgrimages to their sacred land and their sacred
rituals that the shamans have visions, which are then ultimately made into
art pieces, which are, to the Huichol, sacred representations of God, of themselves,
of Nature - which are all One thing.
The Huichol use the images of the sun, the moon, rain, corn, deer, eagles, hummingbirds, and scorpions, among other symbols, to represent their Universal vision of the world.
They are now struggling to keep their culture and their religion alive, to keep it from being overtaken by the modern world. Many are now forced to integrate into the modern society, to work in coal mines or take other jobs, in order to feed their families.
By being able to sell their art, they are able to keep their
culture alive and resist the pressure to integrate into the modern world,
losing their identity.
For more information on the Huicholes, do a search at Yahoo, or click this link: The Huichol: A Culture of Spirit and Magic.
THE TEPEHUANOS
The Tepehuanos are lesser known "cousins" of the Huicholes. It is difficult to find much information about them, but I have gathered that they live near the Huicholes, have similar - but different - beliefs and religious symbols, and apparently use some sort of herb instead of peyote, as a sacrament. They seem to specialize in yarn work, like the one on my home page, and they have a different style and often use very vibrant colors.
Sorry I cannot tell you more than this, but so far I have not been able to find much information on them. If you can refer me to a good source of information on them, please send me an e-mail via the link on the menu above!
