UCLA

The Indigenous Wixárika community, from Western México, commonly known as the “Huichol,” continues to practice ancestral traditions despite the numerous families who have left their motherland to re-establish communities in urban areas in the state of Nayarit, México. As a direct result of these moves, Wixárika families have adopted mestizo ways of living, in regards to education and modes of production. This thesis explores how they implement forms of resistance in urban communities, allowing them to continue practicing Wixárika rituals and ceremonies. Drawing from my ethnographic fieldwork, I illustrate how Wixárika women transform their urban space to cultural knowledge. I include a discussion on how women use physical labor to transmit cultural identity in urban areas in practices that include preparation of corn-based meals and art production such as beading or weaving. In addition, the use of poetics in traditional Wixárika names provides the metaphors to link children and youth to cultural identity. This thesis serves as a case study to illustrate how Indigenous women empower children by providing the skills to continue the practice community-based knowledge.