Wixarika Heritage: History, Memory and Political Struggle in the Context of Multiculturalism

"Although multiculturalism has contributed to the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples, the reality is that there is a lack of mechanisms for these rights to be exercised. This article proposes an analysis of this situation from a specific case, Wirikuta, a sacred site of the Wixaritari, located in the desert, in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. It is difficult, in positivist terms, to define what the biocultural heritage of this group is, since it is not limited to cultural / natural aspects, but covers a whole set of practices, community spaces and, also, sacred sites located far away from their communities. We can observe how de multiculturalism has limits when the indigenous people wants exercises their rights. We will focus on the enormous relevance that collective memory, myth and history has for the defense of these rights. Finally, it is proposed a resignification of the concept of biocultural heritage, which allows a real exercise of the rights to the indigenous peoples."

Read full Spanish language article here.