This section of the website is devoted to the folk arts of the indigenous populations of Mexico. Further down this same
page, you'll find information on Huichol culture, traditions, religion, and folk art. Additionally, you can read our other articles
on the indigenous folk arts of Mexico. Here is a list of our current articles. We hope to have more articles soon! Please
click the link to be taken to the article.
- The Traditional Folk Arts from the Nahua Community of Atla in the Sierra de Puebla
- The Traditional Folk Arts from the Otomi Community of San Pablito in the Sierra de Puebla including Papel Amate
- Unique Wool Folk Art from Chiapas
- The Folk Art and Culture of the Tarahumara
- The Use of Plants in Mexican Folk Art
- The Folk Art of the State of Tlaxcala
don't forget to check out our other sites:
out chocolate products from Mexico and free trade chocolates,
and review delicious chocolate recipes.
culture, travel, and folk art at our Mexican Culture Blog.
expanding resource of information for those interested in Mexican
cuisine and culture. Now offering a new recipe book featuring
classic and traditional recipes from Mexico!
Mexican Folk art from Chiapas
In western Mexico, spread throughout the Sierra Madre Occidental live the Huichol Indians, who
are famous for their ancient religion which celebrates nature and specific animals, and their
colorful folk art. The folk art of the Huichol Indians comes from their experiences with their
animist religion, which widely incorporates the use of peyote and other hallucinogenic plants.
The Huichol Indians are unique in Mexico for having preserved their tradition religion and folk
arts despite the Spanish conquest and modern culture.
Their original folk art consists of Huichol “paintings” with colorful string pressed into bee’s wax.
These Huichol paintings have been popularized for tourists and now come both in string and
colorful beads.
The Huichol make beautiful prayer bowls made of gourds (guajes), and images of animals,
including jaguars. They are known for celebrating a long pilgrimage to various sacred sites
while consuming peyote and leaving offerings in these beautiful, colorful prayer bowls. Check
out this informative website on the Huichol Indians from the University of Pennsylvania.
Portrait of a Huichol Healer (Curandero)
and Artisan, Juan López de La Cruz:
Juan López La La Cruz (“de la Cruz,” as appears on his official documents) is an artisan and
traditional healer (“curandero” in Spanish) from the community of San Andrés Cohamiata, in the
State of Jalisco.
He became a healer through his experiences in Real de Catorce, an area sacred to the Huichol
Indians in the state of San Luis Potosí where peyote grows in abundance. Don Juan states that
when he was a young boy, perhaps 8 years old, his mother and extended family took him to
Real de Catorce for the first time. There, he took peyote and learned many things about the
Earth and the animals of the world.
Juan and Veronica when Juan came to visit our
house in February 2006.
The second time he went to Real de Catorce, he was a little older. He took peyote again and
learned more about the sacred world of the Huichol Indians and the world of spirits and
animals. The third visit to Real de Catorce is when he learned about the creation of the world,
of the sun and moon, of the animals, and of all the beings of the Earth.
Through his experiences in Real de Catorce, he also learned to cure illnesses. Since he was
fifteen years old, he has been a healer. He has traveled and given treatments throughout the
states of Jalisco, Monterrey, Durango, and many other parts of Mexico. The state of Jalisco and
the leaders of his community have recognized him as a certified traditional healer with the rights
to give treatments throughout Mexico.
Don Juan is also an artisan, working in traditional Huichol beadwork, colorful hats, and woven
bags. Huichol beadworks include masks, jaguars, serpents, and Huichol prayer bowls made
from gourds. Many of these beautiful objects have images of the sacred world of the Huichol,
including images of peyote and various plants and animals.
Don Juan has also participated in the sacred Huichol pilgrimage known as the “Caminata del
Peyote.” This pilgrimage involves walking from Jalisco to Real de Catorce, and from there to
the port city of San Blas in the state of Nayarit. This journey also passes near Chapala Lake.
Don Juan has three children. The oldest is a mother of five children. Pascual, the next oldest,
also has five children. The youngest, Asunción, has 2 children.
