The Huichol Indians

The Huicholes live in the border region of the Mexican states of Nayarit and Jalisco, and to a lesser extent in Zacatecas and Durango. Here in this poorly accessible mountain region at an altitude of about 2000 meters, the Huichol have been able to preserve many elements of pre-Hispanic religion and way of life and are still largely autonomous in their beliefs, politics and art. The Huicholes see the cosmos as a continual act of creation, an ever-present act that is directly associated with people, with humans and gods living close to each other. The gods give offerings to the people, and the people give offerings to the gods. The spirit of the mythical red deer, "Our Big Brother" transforms itself into peyote and offers itself to the people for consumption, the sea gives to the people its feathered snake daughter (the rain clouds) The maiz gives its daughter (the kernels of corn) In order that the gods continue to be benevolent, the Huicholes give offerings to the gods. For centuries the Huicholes have offered nearikas to the gods, these usually consist of small round or square tablets fashioned from a variety of materials, covered with wax on one side, with shapes of thread or yarn pressed into the wax. They often have a hole in the center where the god may see man and man may see the god . From these nearikas the yarn painting originated some 50 years ago when there became a demand for examples of Huichol artwork and an interest in their beliefs. Their highly original,vibrant, symbolic andsacred art, is based on firm beliefs and traditiones. In their yarn paintings the Huicholes depict important events, certain happenings and legends based on their mythology. Every picture tells a story or retells an event in a vivid and imaginative way.