Wixárika (Huichol) People

Hello! We are the Wixárika people. Our name has a special meaning for us—it means 'the people.' Our home is a beautiful and special place, high in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains of Mexico. We have lived in these mountains for a very, very long time, and our families know the land well. Many of us live together in communities made up of family homes. We call these communities rancherías. Living together in our rancherías helps us stay connected to our families and our traditions that have been passed down for many years.

For us, the world all around is alive with spirit. We believe that everything, from the tall mountains to the flowing rivers, has a spirit. Our ancestors, who lived long ago, and our gods are also a very important part of our lives and how we see the world. To show our respect and connect with them, we take a special, sacred journey called a pilgrimage. We travel to a desert that we call Wirikuta. Our traditions tell us this is a magical place where the world first began. When we go to Wirikuta, we honor our gods and remember the stories of our creation.

One of the most important ways we share our beliefs and our sacred stories is through our art. Our artwork is famous for being very colorful and full of meaning. We create amazing yarn paintings, which we call nierikate. To make them, we carefully press colorful yarn onto boards to create pictures that tell a story. We also make detailed beadwork, placing tiny, bright beads one by one to form beautiful designs on objects. In our art, you will often see important symbols that are special to us. The deer, corn, and the peyote cactus are all powerful symbols. Each one helps connect us to our spiritual world.

Our culture is not just something from the past that you read about in books. We are a living culture today, and our traditions are still strong. Many of us continue to farm the same traditional foods our ancestors grew, like corn. We speak our own Wixárika language, and we teach it to our children so it will continue. We still hold our ceremonies to honor the world around us. We are proud of who we are, and we also enjoy sharing our culture with people all over the world through our beautiful art and our important stories.