PART 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE WIXÁRIKA PEOPLE AND CULTURE
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Who are the Wixárika (Huichol) People..........................................................................................................................pages 1 - 8
Map of territory, harsh habitat, historical perspectives
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Ancient Shamanic Traditions…………………………………………………….…………...................................................pages 9 -15
Ceremonial life, nature spirits, communication with spirit world
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Peyote Cactus and Imagery……………………………………………………………………………................................pages 16 - 19
The sacred peyote provides a portal into the psychedelic world of the Wixárika belief system
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Shamans and Their Power Objects…………………………………………………………..............................................pages 20 - 25
An overview of the shaman’s power objects, medicine baskets, healing powers and votive offerings
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Sacred Pilgrimage to Wirikuta…………………………………………………………………...........................................pages 26 - 37
The long journey to the peyote desert requires many preparations, visits to ancestral sites, votive offerings and the sacred art of face painting
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Ceremony to Celebrate the Safe Return of the Peyote Seekers………..…….............................................................pages 38 - 45
Peyote rituals, dances and sacred activities take place when the peyote pilgrims return from their journey and arrive at their community ceremonial centers
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The Spiritual Path of Huichol Children……….…………………………………………...................................................pages 46 - 59
The ceremonial initiation of each new generation into the peyote traditions
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The Invasion of the Outside World Threatens Ancient Traditions………..…...............................................................pages 60 - 63
How assimilation into the dominant society affects and continues to pose a threat to the continuation of Wixárika culture and spiritual life
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From the University UCLA to the Mountains of Mexico, 1975....................................................................................Pages 64 - 71
Susana’s arrives in the Wixárika homeland to continue the investigations of Norwegian anthropologist Carl Lumholtz, who documented the Huichol culture in 1898
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Susana’s Early Days in San Andres Cohamaita………………………………………………………………...................pages 72 - 82
The novice anthropologist makes friends and adapts to life in the remote mountain Huichol villages
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Ethno-botanical Investigations……………………………………………………………………………............................pages 83 - 89
With the help of shaman Santos Aguilar Carrillo, Susana begins researching the use of edible, medicinal, utilitarian and visionary plants
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Life in the Wixárika Kitchen…………………………………………………………..........................................................pages 90 - 95
Exploring the native diet, cooking in communal kitchens and preparing foods for ceremonial feasts was a way for Susana to participate in Huichol daily life
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Too Many Hungry Huichol Children…………………………………………………………………...................................pages 96 - 98
Diseases caused by mal-nutrition take their toll in the impoverished communities, where Susana was shocked to learn of the high infant mortality rates
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Assimilation into Modern Mexican Society ………..……............................................................................................pages 99 -106
Roads and airstrips open up the remote mountain homeland to outsiders. Many Huichol families depart communities to seek work in coastal tobacco fields
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The Race against the Doomsday Clock……….………………………………………….............................................pages 107 - 110
Susana takes active measures to end hunger and help to save lives by bringing in urgently needed medical supplies and ways to generate income in the communities
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Lending a Helping Hand, a Stitch at a Time………..…............................................................................................pages 111 - 118
“The Embroidery and Weaving Design Archive” was initiated in 1976 to provide jobs for women to recreate the peyote-inspired patterns inherited from ancestral lineages
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A Lending Library of Patterns ………..….................................................................................................................pages 119 - 124
Susana’s archive of designs combines with those documented in 1898 by Carl Lumholtz, to create a lending a library of endangered patterns for Huichol women
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Museum Exhibits Create More Jobs for Artisans………..…....................................................................................pages 125 - 128
Jobs for artisans abound when Susana creates major museum exhibits that spotlight the beauty of Wixárika art and peyote traditions for the global community
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Common Threads: Susana Marries Yarn Artist Mariano Valadez ………..…..........................................................pages 129 -136
While researching Huichol yarn paintings, Susana and artist Mariano developed a close friendship. They fell in love and were married in 1977
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The Valadez Family: Angelica, Rosy and Cilau………..…......................................................................................pages 137 - 144
Their three multi-cultural children, and grandson David, grew up in Mexico with their Huichol relatives where they cultivated a deep appreciation for their Wixárika roots
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Yarn Artist Cilau Valadez Continues his Father’s Legacy………..…........................................................................pages 145-151
As Cilau was growing up, his dad passed his artistic vision and talent onto him, and they now work as an internationally acclaimed a father-son team.
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Safekeeping an Imperiled Legacy..........................................................................................................................Pages 152 - 164
In 1982 the first Huichol Center began in the tobacco fields of Santiago Ixcuintla, Nayarit to provide humanitarian aid and artistic training to “Transform Field Hands to Creative Hands”
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The Huichol Center Cultural Rescue Projects……………...………………………………………………................pages 165 - 173
In 1993 the Centro Indígena Huichol, A.C. was founded in Huejuquilla el Alto, Jalisco to advance projects for documentation, indigenous education, economic self-sufficiency, conservation of traditions and to teach people to secure food and water sources
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The HC Blue Corn Mother School………………………………………………………….……………........................pages 174 - 185
The school was initiated in 1998 to promote language and symbol conservation and to teach Wixárika children to value their cultural heritage and ancient traditions
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School Performances Reinforce Indigenous Wisdom………………………………………………………….............pages 186 - 192
The children learn about and replicate spiritual traditions in performances that pertain to the annual ceremonial events taking place in the home communities
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The Huichol Center Permaculture Demonstration Site…………………………………………………………..........pages 193 - 204
Adults and children learn survival skills such as organic gardening, aquaponics and water conservation to combat mal-nutrition and protect sources of food and water
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Seed Saving Protects non GMO Heritage Seed Strains ………..……....................................................................pages 205 - 211
A large variety of seeds endemic to the Huichol homeland are planted and safeguarded at the Huichol Center
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Susana Continues to Strive for the Wixárika Cultural Survival ………..….............................................................pages 212 - 212
Four decades of Susana’s dedication to the Huichol people has done much to enhance the quality of life and for present and future generations.
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