Huichol Documentary
18/11/07 20:56
Friends
is honored to receive this proposal from the Huichol
Communities, relative of our president Ted Herrara. The
filming is under way and we are asking for a
sponsorship for two board members to attend the March
Pilgrmage
Indigenous Community of San Andrés Cohamiata
Municipality of Mesquitic State of Jalisco 15/02/07
Reference: Request financial support for the San Jose Ceremonial Center, 1 of the 4 ceremonial centers serving the Zona Alta community.
Justification: The 4 ceremonial centers of this native community of Tateikie represent the 4 cardinal points which are Wirikuta (Real De Catorce) in the state of San Luis Potosí, Xapa Wiyementa (Chapala-La Isla de Los Alacranes) in the state of Jalisco, Waxiewe (the sea of San Blas) in the state of Nayarit, and Iiaurra Manaka (Cerro Gordo) in the state of Durango. The elders and the peyoteros of the ceremonial center expend much time and effort in keeping the Huichol culture alive. They comply with the required ceremonial rituals, making the proper offerings for the good rains, natural phenomena, thanking father sun and mother earth, brother wind, grandfather fire and mother rain on a timely basis. It is due to the economic and fiscal expense of the execution of these duties that the Peyoteros of the San Jose Ceremonial Center request financial support to journey to these cardinal points to carry out ceremonies in the sacred places of the Huichol culture.
Preceding History of the Huichol people and their culture:
Since time Immemorial the Huichol people have been segregated, located in the center of the states of Jalisco, Nayarit and Durango. This dispersion was caused by the Christian Wars. In spite of this marginalization by the government, the people still keep the original Huichol culture that was inherited by their ancestors by fortifying their mother tongue, wearing their traditional attire, keeping in harmony with nature, utilizing medicinal plants, playing their traditional music, and by creating their magical art. The pilgrimage rites on the way to the sacred sites, the Ceremony of the Corn, the Hunting of the White Tail Deer, the Festival of the New Corn, Changing of the Traditional Staff are passed on from generation to generation by the elder messengers (kawiteros). They are the main actors that intervene, so that this culture can be kept alive. Thanks to them the young people today acquire and conceive, with respect, the valuable and important Huichol culture. The hunting of the White Tail Deer is one of the most important ceremonies of the Huichol culture, because without it we cannot perform the traditional festivals that were previously cited. This sacred animal symbolizes the peyote, the corn of five colors and the sacred Eagle. Together these elements make up the Magic Ritual Wisdom of the Huichol people.
There are approximately 42 keepers involved in traveling to the 4 states that represent the 4 cardinal sacred sites. The financial support being requested is to allow them to travel to and leave offerings at the sacred sites during their 5-year guardianship
We will have subsequent conversations with you to check and verify the expenses.
Being no other particular matter, we seal this solicitation 15 February 2007. We await a favorable response.
I received a fax on 16th of July from Andres, Captain of the San Andres Peyoteros requesting a meeting in Cuidad Mier Tamaulipas Mexico on the 20th of July.
JoAnn and I met with him and had a chance to talk more about the documenttation of the upcoming March pilgrimage, explain about Friends of the Indigenous Elders (FIE), and to ask some questions.
Andres explained how 2008 will be the last year for him to serve as captain and does not know how the next peyoteros who will serve for the following 5 years will feel about filming the pilgrimage; therefore 2008 might be the last opportunity to make the documentary.
Below are the questions we asked Andres:
Q How many days will be required to document the pilgrimage?
A The actual preparation starts in September, hunting for the wood to make the sacred bow to hunt brother deer (peyote) and other ceremonies; however the actual pilgrimage will start around the 22nd of March and will continue with a hunt on our land upon our return. But to document just the actual pilgrimage journey will take approximately 2 weeks.
Q. What is the purpose for filming the documentary?
A. The main reason is to preserve our culture for our future generations, and also to capture our elder’s way of living. There are several people in our community well over a hundred years old, my own grandmother is 129, and I want to share their diets, medicines, activities, etc with other indigenous cultures.
Q. What will be allowed in the film?
A. Everything that is approved by our government, I plan on meeting with the 4 ceremonial entities of our community in early August to coordinate on the filming.
Q. What will the revenue from the sell of the documentary be used for?
A. However the community decides to use the money.
Q. Do you want to address the present day constraints that the peyoteros face during this pilgrimage, i.e. privatization of sacred sites, legal issues, etc?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you realize that this documentary may cause many from the outside world to want to come to your community?
A. Yes, we welcome some tourist as long as they stay within our prescribed boundaries.
Q. Can we come to your community in September to plan the documentary?
A. Yes.
Q. During the pilgrimage since the community is also involved in supporting the peyoteros on their journey, should someone stay back in the village and film that as well?
A. That would probably be ok.
Q. There will be 5 or 6 people on the filming crew will that be a problem?
A. We will need Ted and JoAnn to be part of the group, but no more then a total of 12 people.
Q. Will there be stops between San Andres and Real De Catorce?
A. Yes, there are at least 3 stops in-between and 2 more in the desert.
Q. Should we consider bringing an RV for charging equipment?
A. No, the terrain is too rough for that type of vehicle.
Andres stated that he is involving all the 4 peyotero groups (20 people per group) in his community, consequently he will use some of the money pledged by FIE ($2,300) to contribute to the other peyoteros so that there will not be any problems before during or after the making of the documentary.
He also explained that some of the money pledged by FIE for the Real De Catorce Pilgrimage will be needed by the November 2007 timeframe since it will be used for buying the materials for making the traditional trajes (heavily embroidered pants and blouses), this lead time will allow the women to complete the trajes by March 2008.
Andres also asked how much money will be brought in by the selling of the documentary; I explained that that will depend on many different things but that we well try to get him as much as we can. I told Andres that this effort will not be easy, but that if we make good decisions it will serve many people long after we are gone. And that we need to continue to find out more information from each other so that we will have good results. He agreed.
En Dios
Ted Herrera
Rio Grande NAC
To help support this Huichol project log on to
Indigenous Community of San Andrés Cohamiata
Municipality of Mesquitic State of Jalisco 15/02/07
Reference: Request financial support for the San Jose Ceremonial Center, 1 of the 4 ceremonial centers serving the Zona Alta community.
Justification: The 4 ceremonial centers of this native community of Tateikie represent the 4 cardinal points which are Wirikuta (Real De Catorce) in the state of San Luis Potosí, Xapa Wiyementa (Chapala-La Isla de Los Alacranes) in the state of Jalisco, Waxiewe (the sea of San Blas) in the state of Nayarit, and Iiaurra Manaka (Cerro Gordo) in the state of Durango. The elders and the peyoteros of the ceremonial center expend much time and effort in keeping the Huichol culture alive. They comply with the required ceremonial rituals, making the proper offerings for the good rains, natural phenomena, thanking father sun and mother earth, brother wind, grandfather fire and mother rain on a timely basis. It is due to the economic and fiscal expense of the execution of these duties that the Peyoteros of the San Jose Ceremonial Center request financial support to journey to these cardinal points to carry out ceremonies in the sacred places of the Huichol culture.
Preceding History of the Huichol people and their culture:
Since time Immemorial the Huichol people have been segregated, located in the center of the states of Jalisco, Nayarit and Durango. This dispersion was caused by the Christian Wars. In spite of this marginalization by the government, the people still keep the original Huichol culture that was inherited by their ancestors by fortifying their mother tongue, wearing their traditional attire, keeping in harmony with nature, utilizing medicinal plants, playing their traditional music, and by creating their magical art. The pilgrimage rites on the way to the sacred sites, the Ceremony of the Corn, the Hunting of the White Tail Deer, the Festival of the New Corn, Changing of the Traditional Staff are passed on from generation to generation by the elder messengers (kawiteros). They are the main actors that intervene, so that this culture can be kept alive. Thanks to them the young people today acquire and conceive, with respect, the valuable and important Huichol culture. The hunting of the White Tail Deer is one of the most important ceremonies of the Huichol culture, because without it we cannot perform the traditional festivals that were previously cited. This sacred animal symbolizes the peyote, the corn of five colors and the sacred Eagle. Together these elements make up the Magic Ritual Wisdom of the Huichol people.
There are approximately 42 keepers involved in traveling to the 4 states that represent the 4 cardinal sacred sites. The financial support being requested is to allow them to travel to and leave offerings at the sacred sites during their 5-year guardianship
We will have subsequent conversations with you to check and verify the expenses.
Being no other particular matter, we seal this solicitation 15 February 2007. We await a favorable response.
I received a fax on 16th of July from Andres, Captain of the San Andres Peyoteros requesting a meeting in Cuidad Mier Tamaulipas Mexico on the 20th of July.
JoAnn and I met with him and had a chance to talk more about the documenttation of the upcoming March pilgrimage, explain about Friends of the Indigenous Elders (FIE), and to ask some questions.
Andres explained how 2008 will be the last year for him to serve as captain and does not know how the next peyoteros who will serve for the following 5 years will feel about filming the pilgrimage; therefore 2008 might be the last opportunity to make the documentary.
Below are the questions we asked Andres:
Q How many days will be required to document the pilgrimage?
A The actual preparation starts in September, hunting for the wood to make the sacred bow to hunt brother deer (peyote) and other ceremonies; however the actual pilgrimage will start around the 22nd of March and will continue with a hunt on our land upon our return. But to document just the actual pilgrimage journey will take approximately 2 weeks.
Q. What is the purpose for filming the documentary?
A. The main reason is to preserve our culture for our future generations, and also to capture our elder’s way of living. There are several people in our community well over a hundred years old, my own grandmother is 129, and I want to share their diets, medicines, activities, etc with other indigenous cultures.
Q. What will be allowed in the film?
A. Everything that is approved by our government, I plan on meeting with the 4 ceremonial entities of our community in early August to coordinate on the filming.
Q. What will the revenue from the sell of the documentary be used for?
A. However the community decides to use the money.
Q. Do you want to address the present day constraints that the peyoteros face during this pilgrimage, i.e. privatization of sacred sites, legal issues, etc?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you realize that this documentary may cause many from the outside world to want to come to your community?
A. Yes, we welcome some tourist as long as they stay within our prescribed boundaries.
Q. Can we come to your community in September to plan the documentary?
A. Yes.
Q. During the pilgrimage since the community is also involved in supporting the peyoteros on their journey, should someone stay back in the village and film that as well?
A. That would probably be ok.
Q. There will be 5 or 6 people on the filming crew will that be a problem?
A. We will need Ted and JoAnn to be part of the group, but no more then a total of 12 people.
Q. Will there be stops between San Andres and Real De Catorce?
A. Yes, there are at least 3 stops in-between and 2 more in the desert.
Q. Should we consider bringing an RV for charging equipment?
A. No, the terrain is too rough for that type of vehicle.
Andres stated that he is involving all the 4 peyotero groups (20 people per group) in his community, consequently he will use some of the money pledged by FIE ($2,300) to contribute to the other peyoteros so that there will not be any problems before during or after the making of the documentary.
He also explained that some of the money pledged by FIE for the Real De Catorce Pilgrimage will be needed by the November 2007 timeframe since it will be used for buying the materials for making the traditional trajes (heavily embroidered pants and blouses), this lead time will allow the women to complete the trajes by March 2008.
Andres also asked how much money will be brought in by the selling of the documentary; I explained that that will depend on many different things but that we well try to get him as much as we can. I told Andres that this effort will not be easy, but that if we make good decisions it will serve many people long after we are gone. And that we need to continue to find out more information from each other so that we will have good results. He agreed.
En Dios
Ted Herrera
Rio Grande NAC
To help support this Huichol project log on to
www.huicholartfromlosvenados.com
Earthworks for Humanity
18/11/07 10:54
Along with Drunvalo Melchizedek www.spiritofmaat.com, Adam
Yellowbird and his wife Carmen are helping to
sponsor a gathering of Elders in Guatemala.
For more information, please feel free to call (928) 646-3000. Also look at www.Earthworksforhumanity.org
For more information, please feel free to call (928) 646-3000. Also look at www.Earthworksforhumanity.org