Who Are the Wixáritari?
The Wixáritari (singular: Wixárika), known externally as Huichol, are an indigenous people of Mexico's Sierra Madre Occidental, primarily in the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Durango, and Zacatecas. Numbering approximately 50,000, they are renowned for their vibrant yarn paintings and beadwork, but most significantly for maintaining one of Mesoamerica's most intact traditional religious systems, centered on the ritual use of peyote and annual pilgrimages to sacred sites.
The Peyote Pilgrimage
Each year, Wixárika pilgrims journey over 500 kilometers to Wirikuta, a desert region in San Luis PotosĂ, to collect peyote (hikuri). This sacred cactus, containing mescaline, enables communication with deities, ancestor spirits, and the natural world. The pilgrimage recreates the primordial journey of the gods, with pilgrims identifying as the original deities. Strict preparation including fasting, confession, and sexual abstinence precedes the journey. Peyote ceremonies continue throughout the year, but the Wirikuta pilgrimage remains the spiritual apex of Wixárika religious life.
Yarn Paintings and Beadwork
Wixárika art—particularly "nierika" (yarn paintings) and intricate beadwork—depicts visions from peyote ceremonies and mythological narratives. Yarn paintings involve pressing colorful yarn into beeswax-covered boards to create kaleidoscopic images of deer, corn, peyote, eagles, and serpents. Beadwork covers objects (skulls, masks, jaguar sculptures) with precise designs requiring thousands of tiny beads. Originally sacred offerings, these arts now sell to collectors worldwide, providing income while sharing Wixárika cosmovision. Each piece encodes specific spiritual meanings.
Three Sacred Symbols
Wixárika spirituality centers on three interconnected sacred elements: deer (maxa), peyote (hikuri), and corn (ikuri). The deer represents the hunt, masculine energy, and the shaman's spirit guide. Peyote enables visionary experience and divine communication. Corn sustains physical life and represents feminine, agricultural forces. These three elements interpenetrate—in myth, the deer transforms into peyote, and both connect to corn's sustaining power. Ceremonies, art, and pilgrimages continuously renew these sacred relationships.
Threats to Sacred Lands
Wirikuta, the sacred peyote desert, faces threats from proposed silver and gold mining by Canadian companies. Mining would destroy the landscape pilgrims have visited for centuries and could contaminate water sources. The Wixárika have mounted international campaigns against mining, arguing that destroying Wirikuta would end their religion. They've gained celebrity supporters and challenged mining concessions legally. The conflict illustrates broader tensions between indigenous sacred sites and extractive industries—and indigenous peoples' increasing sophistication in fighting back.
References
- Schaefer, S. B. & Furst, P. T. (1996). People of the Peyote: Huichol Indian History, Religion, and Survival
- Myerhoff, B. G. (1974). Peyote Hunt: The Sacred Journey of the Huichol Indians
- Neurath, J. (2002). Las Fiestas de la Casa Grande: Procesos Rituales, CosmovisiĂłn y Estructura Social