History of Huichol Indians - Term Paper Example

?HUICHOL INDIANS I. Ethno genesis. A. Pre-Contact History Huichol Indians are among the ancient indigenous people, settled in the high isolated mountains of western central Mexico. They have retained their pre-Columbian cultures ancient ways of spiritual life. In their native language, they call themselves wixalika meaning “prophets” or “healers” CITATION Lat \l 1033 . Nothing is stated for sure about their history. Some sources state that “in the pre-Columbian times the huichols were originally Guachichil from the desert around Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi and were part of the chichimec culture”. When the spaniards invaded this place, the Huichols took refuge in Sierra. While some scholars are of the view that Huichols have aboded this place ever since the beginning. The Huichols primarily had five tribes having diverse cultures CITATION Lat \l 1033 . B.Hearths and Diffusions After the invasion of spanish soliders which made Huichol indians to further move into the depths of the mountains, the “Franciscan missionaries” came with their agenda of converting the indians to christianity. For this sole purpose they raised “four churches”. The motive of these missionaries was lost in vain as the Huichol indians remained true to their ancestrol religion and the churches built are in ruins. Although it is believed that Huichol indians were divided into five tribes, yet the recent studies tell of only three tribes namely the huautuari, the tuapuritari and the tateikitari. CITATION Lat \l 1033 II. Evaluation of Habitats. A. Physical Geography Huichol indians are among the primitive cultures and religion. They are settled in and around the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Zacatecas and Durango in western central Mexico. They live in isolation of mountains of Sierra Madre Occidental. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The Huichol Homeland CITATION Lat \l 1033 B. Landforms The land occupied by Huichol indians has variety in its land forms having high altitudes as well as plain fiels known as “mesas”. The higher altitudes are covered with pine forests while the lower area has green vegetation. The “Chapalagana river” divides the mesas into west and east. The mountains have numerous caves and valleys. The valley being narrow from the bottom, is widely spaced from the height. Chapalagana bridge 1995 CITATION Lat \l 1033 C. Climate/Natural Hazards Due to the high altitudes, the climate Huichol indians experience is very dry and severe. The high altitude climate is quite cold specially in winters while the lower mesas has moderate tropical weather. The Huichols mostly remain in their ranchos built on a suitable elevation from the ground which keeps them safe from the extreme temperatures. One of the main problems the Huichols face is the shortage of water on high altitudes. In summers they move to their ranches built at a little higher elevation as the climate around the river gets very hot and humid. D. Flora and Fauna The plants found in the Huichol region are quite diverse.The most important among the flora of this region is the divine cactus. Its common names are “Peyote”, “Buttons” and “Mescalito”. This small spine-less, crown-shaped cactus grows under bushes and is of a gray-green color. It has hallucinogenic powers and belongs to the family of “cactaceae”. CITATION Lat \l 1033 CITATION Lat \l 1033 Another common plant of this area is Lavendar Pebbles or Graptopetalum amethystinum. This plant grows slowly but steadily. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The area is abundant in pine-oak forests. This region has a variety of plants both of mountaineous regions as well as deserts. In the lower parts the subtropical genres include Acacia, Ficus, Agave and Bursera along with many such kinds. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The fauna of these regions include the various wildlife species including jaguar, pumas, white-taled deers, white boars, skunks, iguanas and rabbits. Yellow winged Cacique is also a native bird of this area along with Black-Throated Magpie jay. CITATION Lat \l 1033 III. Population Characteristics A. Physical Anthropology The stature of Huichol indians is medium with the averagre height being five feet four inches. They are strong and vigorous people as their mountaineous life is quite hard. They are imaginative people which is clearly reflected from their art as well as rituals. B. Language The language of huichol indians belong to the uto nahuatl family. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The languages include Huichol or huixarica and cora. There is no evidence of any written material belonging to Huichol indian languages. As the travelers got interested in these parts of Huichol territory, efforts were made to translate their languages and make a record. Their only language relating to their ancestoral beliefs and folk lores is their art crafts. C. Religion Huichols follow a spiritual religion. They have no particular word for god. Infact their dieties personify nature, where the Sun is father called Tayaupa, fire being the grandfather called Tatewari and the oldest is growth, the garandmother called Takutsi nakawe. Other dieties include wind, ocean, rain, earth and deer. The Shamans are the main connection between the two worlds. The Shamans or mara’kames are the people, mostly men but a few women as well, who are trained for years and thus gain the imporatant role of invoking dieties and directing and teaching other people about what to do. The shaman songs are the important factor of this religion. One of the most important rituals is the pilgrimage to the sacred peyote land called wirikuta, in San Luis Potosi dessert. In the training of a shaman he is bound to make five annual peyote pilgrimages. This sacred pilgrimage is considered a hunt by the huichol people which is led by a shaman. The pilgimage is followed by a ceremony around tatewari, where the shamans after consuming peyote in the required amount undergo a meditative condition due to peyotes hallucinogenic powers. In this condition the shaman see bright visions and communicates with the dieties. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The five months spent in this ritual from the pilgrimage for gathering peyote till the end celebrated by a grand feast, complete self-restraint is practiced from eating salt to bathing or washing. At the end of this sacred ritual with a great feast men and women dance and celebrate. CITATION Lat \l 1033 IV. Settlements A. Settlement Distribution The community or comunidad contains number of villages where different household with extended family abode. Each community elect its own leader. There are mainly three huichol communities which are somewhat goverened by a board known as Union de Comunidades Indigenas Huicholas i.e. Union of Huichol Indigenous Communities or UHIC. In summer they leave their villages and move to their ranchos at higher altitudes. Their they maintain their cattle to produce milk which is turned to cheese and preserved for the consumption in winters. CITATION Lat \l 1033 B. Dwellings The dwellings of huichol indians is basically a “unit of extended family or ranchos”. The houses “i-ki” are circular in shape usually built from “loose stones and mud with thatched roof” which is mostly replaced by bricks now. The ranchos have several houses occupied by children and gran children along with one or more temples or “to-ki-pa” of their own. The temples or god house are built on the same structure as their domestic houses while the families of that particular rancho keep their sacred posessions in these temples. CITATION Lat \l 1033 V. Economic History and Geography A. Agriculture The huichol indians lives are mainly agrarian with their main crop being corn known as “sacred maize” by them. Other crops grown here include beans and squashes and chillies. Animal-pulled wooden plows and digging sticks, along with “slash and burn” are the common ways of agriculture used. In winters when the Huichol move to the lower parts near the winter their main crop that they grow is sugarcane. The huichol farmer harvests ears of corn (National Geographic) B. Subsistence Activities The subsistence activities include fishing, hunting. Other important sources of their income is their intricate bead-works, yarn paintings and embroidered textiles. These are the main sources of preserving their history as well. Their art work is all about their religious beliefs painted or embroidered and turned into beautiful visual art. Yarn Painting Huichol Mask (Latin-Mexican Folk Art Craft) (Latin-Mexican Folk Art Craft) They also weave baskets, hats and baby cradles. Beaded jwellery and Gourd masks are among the crafts which are internationally acknowledged. The yarn paintings and embroidered textiles which was initially done to preserve their historical beliefs has now gained the commercial status. Now the Huichol women make bags, clothes as well as belts which are quite famous for their exotic colors. CITATION Lat \l 1033 Huichol basket making CITATION Lat \l 1033 Huichol woman weaving CITATION Lat \l 1033 Huichol jwellery CITATION Lat \l 1033 C. Entrance into a Market, National or Global Economy The huichol art and handicraft has made Huichol indians known all over the world. The most special factor of their art is that evrything is intricately hand made. Not only the paintings and bea-works but their pottery, wood and clay works is also among the most admired crafts of Huichols. The mysticism portrayed in the art of Huichols is very fine, imaginative with vibrant colors depicting their dieties and beliefs very intricately. Among the well known Huichol artisans are Jose Benitez Sanchez, Tutukila Carrillo, Juan Rios Martinez and Guadelupe Gonzalez Rios. CITATION Lat \l 1033 Each painting or craft has a different story wooven in it explaining the creation of this earth and the afflications faced by the world before before retaining its balance. CITATION jua79 \l 1033 “Huichol wood sun” VI. The Future A. Growth and Decline The self imposed isolation from the outer world is what kept the Huichol indians culture safe. They are among the few ancient beliefs and traditions whose customs are still the one they originally had. Their ancestoral religion is still followed with zeal and zest. Although their territorial area has said to have been reduced drastically yet they did not let their inheritence of religion and culture to get even minutely manipulaised or corrupted. With the increasing population and decreasing resources, the Huichols are taking the initiative of going out to the urban looking for work. Although they always remain in a group of two or more and usually keep to themselves yat the necesities of life and survival is making them take risks of mingling with the outer world. This connection with the urban world is though promising for their arts and crafts to be introduced and acknowledged to the whole world, it is also an extreme threat to their very existence. The silver minning in these sierra madre ranges is a question to their culture survival. Along with such steps is the problem of huge demand of peyote, as it is used as a drug especially by hippies of mexico. The Huichols travel a long distance to obtain this sacred cactus for their religious customs. It is also not grown in abundance. Its consumption being legal in San Luis Potosi is making the area more vulnerable than before.The making of roads in these sierra regions is not only putting the huichol indians on guard of their land but also their sacred entities. The tobacco fields grown near the Huichols is also turning out to be hazardous to their lives. The ore-rich regions of sierra madre ranges attracts many industrialists. The minning is not only affecting the natural environment but also the health of Huichols. Digging up of peyote from its very roots along with the commercial agriculture and minning are becoming everyday threat to the Huichols. B. Most Important Unifying Element of Culture The most unifying element of Huichol culture is that the religion and everyday life is not considered apart from eachother. Their dieties being all the natural forms keep them in contact with their surroundings yet making the surroundings sacred as well. They believe in keeping the harmony among nature will make them secure and safe from the wraths of their dieties. The huichols have all the rights to protect their distinct culture and religion. Yet the urbanization is putting a threat to their very existence. For years they have preserved their inherited culture but the constant interference with their territory is diminishing the chances of their sacred beliefs survival. The fascinating and magical culture of Huichol indians is worth preserving and efforts should be made from individual to governmental level to take the necessary steps. References 1. Biglow, Brad M. Ethno-Nationalist Politics and Cultural Preservation: Education and Bordered Identities Among the Wixaritari (Huichol) of Tateikita, Jalisco, Mexico. (Dissertation). University of Florida, 2001. 2. Chapalagana Bridge 1995. Robert Forman. Retrieved from http://www.glueyarn.com/site/Mexico_Travel.html 3. Huichol. Countries and their Cultures. Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/Middle-America-Caribbean/Huichol.html 4. Huichol Art-Figures and Yarn Paintings. Latin-Mexican Folk Art Craft. Retrieved from http://www.mexicanartdealing.com/ 5. Huichol Indians of Mexico’s Sierra Madre Occidental. Mexonline.com. Retrieved from http://www.mexonline.com/history-huichol.htm 6. Lavender pebbles. Strange Wonderful Things: Rare and exotic plants. Retrieved from http://www.strangewonderfulthings.com/211.htm 7. Lumholtz, Carl. The Huichol Indians of Mexico. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, Vol. X, New York, Martin Printing House, 1898. 8. Myerhoff, Barbara G. Peyote Hunt: The Sacred Journey of the Huichol Indians. U.S.A, Cornell University Press, 1974. Print 9. Schaefer, Stacy B., and Furst, Peter T. People of the peyote: Huichol Indian history, religion and survival. University of New Mexico press: 1996. Print 10. Negrin, Juan. The Huichol Indians: A pre-Columbian culture in Mexico today. The Unesco Courier. Paris, UNESCO, 1979. 11. Peyote. The Vaults of Erowid. Retrieved from http://www.erowid.org/plants/peyote/ Read More