Huichol Indians are a little group of people that lives in the Sierra Madre in Mexico. They live by the respect of Mother Earth, and honoring all of creation, especially the spirit of nature, the power of the animals, the minerals and plants. They were once considered a Nation of Shamans; they are Healing People that by following the spiritual path learn to inhabit the earth and their being with gentleness and respect. Huichol people rely on their relationship with nature to sustain their communities and they are the last North American tribe that have maintained their pre Columbian traditions.

Their art requires patience unknown to the modern world; it’s a meditative practice, involving an incredibly great deal of focus and concentration, one bead at a time. It shows their unique talent to tell stories using symbols and designs which date back centuries through the masterfully use of beads and an impeccable use of colors.

Nowadays their sacred desert Wirikuta, which for hundreds and hundreds years has been their place for pilgrimage and land of their deified ancestors, and had been listed in 1999 within the UNESCO World Heritage Sites is living the hardest days ever. The Huichol people are standing against the exploitation and destruction of their soil by foreign mining companies. The mining site represents a threat to the environment balance and health of the population. Chemical substances used in the mining process from previous mines are destroying resources at various levels, which are creating impact on the environment and human health. The mining sites will consume irrational amounts of water in an already arid region.

Constanza