-----The Huicol Indians are a preserved culture indigenous to the Sierra Madre Mountains in Northwest Mexico. They are gentle people far from the materialism of the modern world. Farming a land that most would consider uninhabitable, they have been living there for thousands of years. Their ancient beliefs and customs remain perfectly intact today. Without a written language they rely on storytelling, ceremonies and their traditional art to assure their culture transcends the generations.
-----The people call themselves “Wirrarika” which means “healers”, as many of the Huicholes are Shamans. The Shaman’s role is not only as a doctor and advisor, but also as a spiritual warrior to resolve divine problems. The Shaman Caste, or Grand Shaman, grooms the village governor so that spiritual values and rituals are properly passed down from generation to generation.
-----The Huicholes are very spiritual, with their religion being a part of their everyday life. Through their religious rituals, children learn to communicate with the spirit world at an early age.* The Huicholes pay homage to their revered deities, like the corn, the cactus, the deer and the eagle. These deities are called upon to heal the Earth and bring balance to Nature.
-----The Huicholes are proud artisans, and they create decorations not only as offerings, but to narrate the story of creation. They use these artful decorations as prayers to stop the wind, call the sun and bring the rain. They are renowned for their ornamental pottery, yarn paintings and intricate jewelry made with sterling silver and colorful beads. Their artwork is very symbolic. Each piece calls for a blessing or tells a story. Important symbolism in their artwork includes sacred animals like the Deer, Serpent and Puma. Other symbols from nature include the Sun, fire and water.
-----The Huicholes have a rich heritage of spiritual ceremonies. These religious rituals have been passed down from generation to generation and are filled with meditations and magical dances. These dances take place to activate the vital energy that shakes the life known as Kipuri. Much of their inspiration, for their life and their art, comes from these meditations.
-----The Huicholes human form is indeed freer from the materialistic and skeptical convictions that have kept man apart from his origins. They are beings more alive in their world; they are closer to a total consciousness than Western Man.
-----The Huicholes offer us great wisdom with their eco-based philosophies. They remind us to respect mother Earth and to be at one with Nature. For a culture that is worlds apart from our own, we are uniquely similar in our quest to embrace and appreciate life in a future unknown.*
Paraphrasing credits:
* Article by Angela Corelis “Huicol Indians: Their Art and Symbols” which quotes Susana Eger Valadez’s excerpt from Huicol Indian Sacred Art
* Article by Charmayne McGee “So Sings the Blue Deer”
