5th Annual Wixaritari Tateikie Indigenous Festival
posted:Thursday, March 11, 2010
by Bay Vallarta Staff
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The Wixáritari (erroneously labeled "Huichol" by the conquering Spanish) are a group of indigenous Mexicans who have managed to zealously preserve their culture since the time of the Spanish conquest. They call themselves "Wirrárica" (an individual) or "Wirráritari" (plural). Wixáritari Indians have a clear perception of their origins and history and beliefs referring to facts that harbor a cosmic significance, since, for them, the story of "the true cosmic" or be identified by their art and myths, represented under religious manifestations. The language spoken is in the Cora-Huichol branch within the family is the Uto-Aztecan languages.
THE FESTIVAL
The indigenous community of Tateikie Wixárika Meme (San Andres Cohamiata, located in the municipality of Mezquitic, Jalisco) will hold the fifth edition of their festival in Puerto Vallarta from March 7 to 21. During these days, the Wirraritari will open an extraordinary window allowing us to peer into the Wixárika universe through their art, song and ancestral ceremonies. The exhibition will be the exhibit area of Plaza Caracol (open daily from 10:00am to 9:00pm) where 50 artists will display their mystical art, in a framework of a Trade Fair for 15 days and will show their fabulous beadwork and yarn on wax and wood techniques, as well as the beautiful embroidery that reflects their cosmogony, in all its highly original aesthetic code. In addition to the daily "Expoventa", you can listen to ancestral music, followed by popular traditional Wixárika mariachi music.
CEREMONIES
During the Indigenous festival 3 of the most traditional ceremonies Wixárika will be held: the Patsixa (the exchange of traditional authority), Tatei Neixa (the Feast of the drum) and Hikuri Neixa (the Feast of peyote).
At the exchange of traditional authority ceremony carries out the transmission of they traditional political organization. It includes a pilgrimage to a sacred place where votes are made to restart a new community and remain in harmony with the forces of nature. The function is to renew the traditional governor, who is greeted with celebration and gifts and entertained with traditional and regional music during the early days of his term.
The feast of drum emphasizes the participation of children and includes a performance of a mystical pilgrimage tour, with their songs and dances at the shrine of Wirikuta, Real de Catorce. The faces of the Uxa Wixáritari are painted with a yellow dye that only attaches to the skin if the person is a good Wixárika.
The peyote ceremony is a celebration of the arrival of the pilgrims who have been to the holy site to collect Wirikuta Hikuri or Peyote. This usually takes place when celebrating the corn harvest, so it is also a celebration of gratitude and rest and the end of fasting, abstinence and work. It is a happy recreation in which satisfaction and gratitude are expressed in many ways.
GENERAL PROGRAM
March 7 - 21
10:00am-9:00pm Daily Wixárika art display
6:00pm-7:00pm Daily traditional Wixárika music
Sunday, March 7
6:00pm Ceremony to exchange of traditional authority (Patsixa)
Opening
Saturday, March 13
6:00pm Feast of drum (Tatei Neixa)
Sunday, March 21
6:00pm Peyote ceremony (Hikuri Neixa)
Closing ceremony
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