I fell asleep last night dreaming of a world where aesthetic and environmental values coincide. Yesterday, I attended a screening of the documentary Huicholes: The Last Peyote Guardians. The film illustrates the culture and daily life of the Wixáritari, including their ritualistic use of the peyote cactus. Rare among Mexican ethnic groups, the Wixáritari managed to preserve their traditional way of life despite the Spanish conquest and many generations of contact with modern forces. The Wixáritari, better known to the global community as the Huichole, are perhaps best known for their art, iconic because of it’s stunning patterns of color and graphic depictions of natural elements. The film turned the viewers attention to the trial the Wixáritari are currently facing - to protect their holy land. Wirikuta, located in the heart of central Mexico, is recognized for it’s extraordinary biodiversity as well as for it’s vast underground stores of valuable minerals. Currently, the area is threatened by mining projects sanctioned by the Mexican government, led by the Canadian based First Majestic Silver Corporation. These mining projects, as they have occurred before, generate billions of dollars in revenue for foreign corporations and return to the local communities only tiny percentages of their revenues as salaries. They introduce no renewable infrastructure or sources of income to the people and regions surrounding the factories. What they do leave behind are paisajes sacrificados, areas depleted of clean water, with destroyed resources and contaminated by toxins. Despite the vague and misleading promises of economic growth made by the corporations, the Wixáritari have observed the effects of these highly extractivist projects and posed to an international audience the question, “Que nos queda?” What are we left with when short term work runs it’s course and in the process erodes long term sustainability? Our crazy world, which hardly grasps an understanding of the word sacred, has been driven for a while by an insatiable pursuit of economic development, blind to the cost of environmental and cultural degradation. From where we stand, the time has never been better to gain awareness of the consequences that result with adherence to logic that values profit over all else, ultimately even over life itself. How do we live in these crazy times? This posture is already being shaped, by activists and artists who are dedicated to bringing broad audiences a sense of the ethos that emerges when social, cultural, environmental and aesthetic values coincide. As the protagonists of our time, perhaps oriented by this ethos, we can manage to dictate a conclusion to the narrative that binds us - one that includes an optimistic view for the future of life on our planet. I’d like to express gratitude to t.e.j.a.s. (Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Service) for coordinating the United States premier of the film, especially to the films director Hernán Vilchez for bringing to an international audience the urgency of the crisis faced by the Huicholes. To the protagonist of the film, a Wixáritari holy man who is currently touring the United States and Canada to present to audiences along the way the mission of his people, of our people, to preserve the environment that sustains us - it is an understatement to say that I am deeply moved by your effort. Special shout to Daniel Anguilu for helping bring the film to the East Side (and for beginning work on a special mural to commemorate the cause).
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 03:19:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015