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The Psychedelic Art of the Huichol Indians

Number 52 December 24-31, 1979 In a recent editorial I stated ~hat I am The Huichols are a’ relati~elv small not much of a collector. ] At one time, group of about 10,OOUto 15,000 _Indians all I collected was saxophone record- living in a 1,500 square mile area of ings. However, a few years ago I started ’s Sierra Madre mountains, The to collect Huichol Indian yarn paint- name Huichol is a corruption of the In- ings. I now have a sizable collection, My dians’ native name Vixanca. ~ Although friend Anne Geary introduced me to scholars disagree on the point, most the craft of these Mexican Indians. It believe that the Huichols have lived in was through her that I met Olga and their present location at least since the Bob Brooks, from whom I buy the arrival of the first Spaniards in Mexico paintings. They run a small import in 1519.2.3 Despite the efforts of the business in Northern . They Spaniards and their missionaries to purchase the paintings from a merchant “civilize” and Christianize the Indians, in Mexico who buys them from the In- the Huichols remained basically un- dians. changed until the 1960s. At that time, At present my collection numbers the Mexican government introduced over 40 paintings, including two that are major programs to aid the Indians, Es- eight-feet long. They light up my apart- pecially important was the building of ment and my life. My collection is so airstrips into the almost inaccessible large that I needed some help in Huichol territory. This made outside cataloging it, So Olga Brooks recently contact relatively easy. translated for me the “Spanish-Indian” The Huichols remain, however, an handwritten notes on the back of each agricultural people. They are dependent painting, which explain the painting’s upon corn, which they plant by drop- symbolism. For example, one large ping a few kernels into a hole made with painting about the Huichol children is a digging stick. The planting, raising, enhanced by this description: “The and harvesting of com are surrounded children take an imaginary trip to the by religious ceremony, as is all of land of at the feast of the com Huichol life. Susan Eger, former field and squash. They sit out in the sun on director for the Foundation for the In- the laps of their mothers while the dians of the Sierra, explains: “TO the shaman recounts the entire imaginary Huichols, religion is not part of life, it is pilgrimage, He uses the b~t}erfly to life .“4 Carl Lumholtz,, a Norwegian symbolically lead them to Wmkuta. ” ethnographer who was the first outsider The yarn paintings are created by to study the Huichols, and whose work pressing strands of colorful yarn into about them is considered classic, sunwarmed beeswax spread over observed, “that religion in one manif es- plywood. The Huichols use extremely tation or another permeates all of life for bright, contrasting colors, A series of the traditional Huichol, including eco- these paintings on a wall creates a nomics, social relations, and even psychedelic vision not unlike that which technology. ”j The Huichol religion is originally inspired the artist. I also the major motivation for most of 348 their art. Huichol life is a continuous necklaces whose motifs derive from the chain of ritual and devotional exercises communal inventory of sacred sym- to the gods. The gods are every- holism.”J Olga says these symbols are so where—in trees, KIM, and lakes, Even firmly entrenched that Huichols from stones have souls. Tatewan~ Our different areas who have never met Grandfather Fire; the God before can produce exactly the same Ka’uy~marie, the Blue Deer; and Tat~ patterns. b Kukurfi’Uim&i, the Mother of Maize, In addition to weaving and em- are among the most important of the broidery, the Huichols produce much Huichol gods, votive, or offertory, art. Among these, One of the best known of the Huichol the rukun, or votive bowls, are con- rituals involves the use of peyote, a sidered by many to be the precursors of hallucinogenic cactus that grows in the yarn paintings. These bowls, made from W{fikuta desert. Thk desert, which lies the bottom half of a calabash gourd, are 300 miles northeast of the Huichol decorated by pressing beads or yam into homeland, is considered by them to be their beeswax-coated inner surfaces. their spirit ual la:~ of origin. A yearly They are made as offerings and prayers, pilgrimage to Wmkuta to gather peyote with the design usually symbolizing is the climax of Huichol religious life. what the maker wishes the god to pro- The peyote contains, among other vide. things, the non-addictive drug mesca- About 40 years ago when commer- Iine. s It is ~a~en with great ceremony, cially produced yams and fiberboard both in Wlnkuta and year-round at became available, the Huichols devel- home, so that one can communicate oped the art of yam painting for sale to directly with the gods. In their visions, the public.7 Most of the paintings are the Huichol shamans often “meet” the done by men, although a few women gods, who reveal their knowledge to are also involved in thk craft. Olga ex- them. Peyote visions frequently provide plains that while the paintings often ideas and motifs for Huichol artwork. symbofize religious events and objects, A significant part of the Huichol they have no religious significance religion, in fact, centers around their themselves, and have no place in the art. Explains Peter T. Furst, professor traditional Huichol culture. Urdike of anthropology at the State University other Huichol artwork, they are not of New York and research associate in sacred. They often, however, represent ethnobotany at the Botanical Museum religious things, such as ceremonies, of Harvard University, “For the feasts, and the gods.b Paintings may Huichol, art is prayer and direct com- also illustrate a story from Huichol munication with and participation in the mythology by showing a vision seen by sacred realm. It is meant to assure the the artist while taking peyote. The good and beautiful life: health and fer- paintings in Figure 1 and Figure 2 tility of crops, animals, and people; (which appear in full color in the insert prosperity of the individual, the kin in this issue) each illustrate a specific group, and the larger society.”J observance or story. * According to Eger, “The Huichols According to Olga, Huichol yam use their artwork as a means of coding paintings have become quite popular in and channeling sacred knowledge, in- the US in recent years. Some scholars suring the continuity and survival of the lament this fact, however, explaining legacy left to them by their pre- that, as a result, many Huichols, and Columbian ancestors.’”l As a result, says even outsiders, are producing cheap Furst, “Almost every Huichol woman is versions, which are devoid of meaning. a skilled in the arts of weaving and em- Phd C. Weigand, associate professor of broidery, and many men and women ex- anthropology at the State University of cel at stringing tiny colored beads into New York at Stony Brook, believes that beautiful earrings, bracelets, and most of the Huichol artwork sold today

349 falls into this cat~gory. “Crafts of combined with their dislike of outsiders, dubious quality ,“ he says, “are often will enable them to preserve their own produced in factory-like surroundings, way of life. with many workers-not all of them In- Like many other primitive art forms dians, let alone Huichols—mass- may become popular for a producing bead-encrusted cigarette while. There are currently two exhibi- boxes, god’s eyes, bead bracelets, tions of Huichol artwork traveling woven bags, and even yarn paintings. across the US. I saw one of these exhibi- Fortunately, the best artists have tions in Chicago several months ago. It shunned this type of commercialism. ”q displayed the work of two prominent Olga adds that a trained observer can HuicJsol ry-tists, Tutukila and Jose’ easily tell the difference between Bemtez Sanchez. While I admire the authentic, meaningful Huichol work prolific work of these artists, I admire and rapidly-made, cheap imitations. In even more some of the themes and addition, she believes that since the styles in my collection. Some of them Huichols dislike and distrust outsiders, have a childlike quality reminiscent of they are not likely to commercialize Grandma Moses. In fact, my own their artwork any more than necessary. mother did a painting at the age of 60 Nevertheless, most of the paintings that which is so similar in character and col- are sold to tourists are produced by or that it does not clash at all with the Huichols who have gone to live in the Huichol art that surrounds it. towns nearest their original villages. In If you are interested in knowing more many ways, they are no longer tradi- about the Huichols and their art I can tional Huichols. recommend the work edited by In any case, the Huichols are being Kathleen Berrin, Art of the Huichol [n- exposed more and more to modern dian.r, lo and In the Magic Land of society. Olga and others are concerned Peyote, translated from the Mexican that the Huichols may soon become Spaqish edition of a work by Fernando “Mexicanized” as a result of that con- Bemtez. 1I You may also wish to read tact, and will perhaps eventually accept Lumholtz’ classics Symbolism of the and adopt Christianity. While this is in- Huicho[ Indians, [z and Unknown deed possible, Olga believes that the Mexico. 13 Huichols’ strong cultural associations, 0919

REFEI ;NCES

1. GarJieM E. Everything you wanted to know about sax but were afraid to ask, Current Con/en(s (25):5-11, 18 June 1979, 2. CJutfon B. Happy peep/e: [he Huicho/ lndiarw. Sante Fe: Museum of Press, 1%2. .56 p, 3. Fwst P T. ‘f%earl of “being Huichol, ” (Berrin K, cd. ) Art of the Hu/r/to/ lndian~. New York: Abrams. 1978. p, 18-34. 4. Eger S & ColJfns P R. Huichol women’s art, (Benin K, cd, ) Ar( of //te Huicho/ lndiam New York: Abrams, 1978. p. 35-53. 5, !$teber W G. Drug problems. Encyclopaedm Bn’tanmca. Chicago: H,H. Benton, 1974. Vol. 5, p. 10WW, 6. Brooks O. Personal communication, 10 August 1979, 7. $trekefgb F. Sacred colors of the Huichol, Porrfo/io 1(1):56-64, April/May 1975, 8. IYe@a J. The Huicho/ creafion of /he wor/d. Sacramento: E.B. Crocker Art Gallery, 1975.122 p. 9. We&and PC. Contempora~ social and economic structure. (Benin K, cd, ) Art of the Huicho/ [ndm”s New York: Abrams, 1978, p. 101-11S. 10. Be+ K, ed. Art of the Huichol Indions. New York: Abrams, 1978.212 p, 11. Rezutez F. In (he magic /and of peyofe. Austin: University of Press, 1975. IW p. 12. Luraholtz C. .Symbo/ism of (he Huichol Indtan$. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1900.228 p. 13. ------Unknown Me.wc-o. Glorieta, NM: Rio Grande Press, 1974.2 vol.

Note: * The figures mentioned here were originally printed in color.

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