
What does the word Huichol mean?
Definition of Huichol 1 : a member of an American Indian people of the mountains between Zacatecas and Nayarit, Mexico. 2 : the Uto-Aztecan language of the Huichol people.
Is Huichol a Spanish word?
Names: The name Huichol comes from the Nahuatl word for the tribe; their name for themselves in their own language is Wixáritari, and their language is called Wixárika. Although some Wixaritari people today dislike the term "Huichol," most of them now use it to refer to themselves, especially in Spanish.
Where does the word Huichol come from?
The Huichol are a Mexican Indian group located in the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Zacatecas, and Durango. The name "Huichol" is the term Spaniards used when referring to this group and is possibly a corruption of the name for either the Guachichil or the Wizarika.
Are Huichol Aztecs?
Descendants of the Aztecs, the Huichol people have been around much longer than modern history has recorded.
How do you pronounce Huichol?
0:080:45How to Pronounce Huichol? (CORRECTLY) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMore you.MoreMore you.
What are the Huichol famous for?
The Huichol people of Jalisco, Durango, Zacatecas and Nayarit, Mexico, known in their native language as Wixáritari, are globally recognised for their fantastically intricate, spiritually significant and brilliantly colourful bead and string folk art, which command high prices and even higher respect.
What are the three Huichol worlds?
The Huichol believe that the universe has been divided into three worlds, which are found in both their mythology and in their local geography: the ocean to the west, where life begins; the mountains, where the activities of everyday life take place, and the Desert of Dawn to the east, where the Huichols perform a ...
What did the Huichol believe in?
Huicholes believe in both good and evil spirits and pay respect to their ancestors who, though they've passed away, are not too far from our world. Every year, thousands of Huichol people embark on pilgrimages to sacred mountains and land in Nayarit and surrounding states.
What is the Huichol religion?
Both the Huichol and Cora are nominally Roman Catholic and practice some Catholic rituals. Patron saints are often identified with native gods, however, and native pagan religious ceremonies play a central role among both groups. Both also use peyote in certain rites.
Who are the Huichol descendants of?
History. : The Huichols are descendents of the Aztecs and are related to the Hopi of Arizona. After withstanding the Spanish Invasion, they fought to keep their culture alive, despite the presence of their Mexican neighbors.
What tribe is Huichol?
The native Huichol Indians can be found near Sayulita in the foothills and highlands of Mexico's Sierra Madre Mountain range in Riviera Nayarit. The Huichol are direct descendants of the Aztec. You can explore their artwork, lifestyle and traditional ceremonies in the communities of Xatsixarie, El Nayar, and La Yesca.
What are the 3 main occupations of the Huichol people?
The Huichol are subsistence farmers. Their main crop is maize, but they also grow beans and squash and occasionally raise livestock. Vegetation varies with altitude, but trees cover much of the landscape.
In what 2 Mexican states is Huichol art mainly found?
Huichol art broadly groups the most traditional and most recent innovations in the folk art and handcrafts produced by the Huichol people, who live in the states of Jalisco, Durango, Zacatecas and Nayarit in Mexico.
What languages do the Huichol speak?
Huichol (Wixárika Niukiyari) Huichol is an Uto-Aztecan language spoken in mainly in the Mexican state of Jalisco, and also in Nayarit, Zacatecas, Puebla and Durango. In 2010 there were 45,000 speakers of Huichol, which is also known as Vixaritari Vaniuqui, and Vizaritari Vaniuki.
What does the deer symbolize in Mexico?
They were highly visual symbols of political (and divine) authority, proudly carried by the Mexica on their legendary journey from Aztlán to the basin of central Mexico. To the eminent late 19th century German scholar Eduard Seler, the deer was and is 'a mythological animal par excellence' (1909: 112).
What is Huichol culture?
Huichol culture believe that the mountains surrounding them (the Sierra Madre Occidental) are the home of mystical creatures. Prominent characters in these tales are trees, labyrinths, mountains, oceans, moons, and suns; they are also all expressed in their art and religious customs.
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Definitions & Translations
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Deer
It’s the most important figure in the culture since it is considered the Messenger of the Gods and the creator of peyote and corn, which are elements with a huge symbolic meaning.
Peyote
This small spineless cactus that grows in some areas of Mexico, for Huichol people, is a mythical portal between the Gods and humanity, and it also symbolizes the beginning of life and the balance of the world.
Eye of God
It’s an instrument to acquire the “gift of seeing”. The Wixárikas believe that this form shows things and places as they are and balance their soul in the here and now. Also, it indicates the 5 directions of the universe: East, West, North, South, and Center.
Fire
The principal deity, even older than the sun, it is one of their protective Gods, Huichol people find in it the purification and the cleaning of their souls. For this reason, it is used for many rituals and ceremonies. Its protector is represented by a lizard.
Eagle
The symbol of this animal, as well as peyote, is considered as a bridge between Gods and humanity. The Huichol community believes that in its feathers resides the power to see and hear everything, to cure diseases and make the Sun and rain appear.
Arrow
It symbolizes the masculine gender and is an element that Huichol people use to hunt and send messages. The messenger arrows are related to the eagle, as they paint and decorate it with feathers to send a message to their Gods.
Gourd bowls
It symbolizes the feminine gender because the seeds that are transported to the field to be fertilized are placed in it. It’s also an instrument used for some ritual, which likewise sends messages to their deities.
Huichol art begins with themselves
The Wixarikas wear notorious clothing such as the kamirra or kutuni (shirt) that is open on the sides and fastened at the waist with the juayame, a thick and wide sash made of worsted or wool that carries on top several embroidered pouches called kuihuame or huaikuri attached with a cord, which are not useful, they are simply complements to the adornment.
What is the meaning of Huichol art
Huichol art is noticeable in the rituals of the Maraakates (priests) in which they use Muwieris (chopsticks adorned with feathers).
What language is Huichol?
The 1990 Mexican census placed the Huichol population over the age of 5 at 20,000. Linguistic Affiliation. Huichol, the native language, is classified with languages of the Aztecoiden Branch of the Uto-Aztecan Family. It is most closely related to the Cora language.
What is the Huichol culture called?
Some scholars believe the Huichol were originally the desert-dwelling culture known as the "Guachichil, " who, in turn were one of the many people collectively called "Chichimec.". "Wizarika" is the term the Huichol use to identify themselves.
What was the name of the program that the Catholic Church sponsored to integrate Huichol into the mainstream of Mexican national culture?
Even greater changes occurred in the 1960s when, under then President Luis Echeverr í a, the National Indian Institute (INI) sponsored a regional development program known as Plan HUICOT (for Huichol-Cora-Tepehuan). This government agency developed projects designed to integrate Huichol into the mainstream of Mexican national culture. Airstrips and roads were built linking the isolated communities to the outside world. Agricultural projects were begun that introduced tractors, fertilizers, and different strains of crops.
What river divides the Huichol territory?
The major river running through the Huichol territory, the Chapalagana, divides the land into two sections. The Huichol who inhabit the land west of the river have experienced more acculturative pressures. They live in small groups in or around Cora Indian or mestizo settlements, or in urban centers.
How many tribes were there in the Huichol?
Regardless of their origins, it is likely that the Huichol culture consisted of four or five tribes, each with distinct regional traditions. Because of the rugged terrain of the sierra and physical resistence on the part of the Indians, the Huichol held out against direct Spanish domination until the 1720s.
Where did Huichol seek refuge?
According to this theory, ancestors of contemporary Huichol sought refuge in the sierra shortly before or after the arrival of the Spaniards. Others believe that the Huichol had been longtime residents in the sierra, with a strong orientation to the Pacific coast.
Where do Huichol live?
The majority of the Huichol live in the Sierra Madre Occidental in the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Zacatecas, and Durango. This area covers the span of 21 ° 30 ′ to 22 ° 35 ′ N and 104 ° 00 ′ to 104 ° 30 ′ W. The rugged sierra was formed in the Tertiary period with the lava flows from active volcanoes.
