The Psychedelic Huichol Culture and Peyote Inspired Art

Susana Valadez, founder and director of the Huichol Center for Cultural Survival and Traditional Arts, will present about her life’s work to ensure the survival of the endangered Wixárika (Huichol) people and ancient way of life. As a cultural insider by marriage to Huichol yarn artist Mariano Valadez, her contributions to the ethnographic record meticulously documents the life, spirituality, art, botany language and traditional practices of the Wixárika people. Susana and her family strive to create bridges between ancient traditions and sustainable futures for the tribe, with innovative projects including a school that teaches Huichol children literacy in their native dialect and emphasizes the importance of maintaining their peyote traditions. Other projects help to eliminate poverty by teaching them how to create and sell their beautiful artwork to generate income, and to grow their own food using permaculture and biodynamic gardening techniques. Mor information can be found at https://www.thehuicholcenter.org