About The Wixárika Research Center

The Wixárika Research Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit public foundation founded and registered in the State of California in May of 2001. We strive to promote public awareness of the Wixárika (Huichol) culture of Mexico through an online archive of their art, history, and culture along with a news section dedicated to current events. In addition to the archive, we provide support for community initiatives that advance and preserve Wixárika culture and territory.

The Wixárika remain one of Mexico’s most enigmatic indigenous peoples and have actively preserved their ancestral land base, language, social organization and spiritual practices. Nonetheless, the Wixárika must actively work to preserve their culture and land against the encroachment of large development projects and the ever-growing intrusion of people interested in their knowledge and resources. Through our longstanding alliances with Wixárika communities and organizations, our foundation provides a free platform for accessing information on Wixárika history, art and contemporary politics. Our hope is that our archive can facilitate greater appreciation of Wixárika culture and work as an instrument for advancing ongoing Wixárika efforts to make autonomous decisions regarding how to best manage their land, education, healthcare and housing.

Our foundation has worked toward the defense of the sacred lands and natural resources of the Wixárika people and when requested we help design, implement and finance environmentally sustainable projects for their communities. All projects we participate in are authorized by consensus at general assemblies and confirmed in writing by the elected Traditional and Agrarian Authorities. Additionally, our foundation is committed to working with young Wixárika scholars and university students. This includes creating scholarship funds for college students and providing international opportunities for young Wixaritari to work with the archive collected by the Negríns.

We hope you will enjoy exploring our website whether you are an enthusiast of Wixárika art, a student, a scholar, or someone interested in indigenous rights and the current events shaping our shared future in this rapidly changing world.

 

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