[Last year Celena McIntyre was awarded the first annual Karen Sharkey Flaherty Plenty Volunteer Scholarship. Celena joined Plenty soy and nutrition educator, Louise Hagler, at the Huichol Center for Cultural Preservation and Traditional Arts in Huejuquilla, Mexico in November where she lived and worked until this February. In December, Plenty food programs and agriculture specialist, Chuck Haren, and videographer Jeffrey Keating arrived with a truck-load of food processing equipment purchased with grants from Onaway Trust and the AMB Foundation and funding provided by individual Plenty donors.]

The weekend before my departure for the Huichol Center for Cultural Survival and Traditional Arts in Mexico, made possible through Plenty; I attended a conference in Las Vegas, NV, discussing paradigm shift through the concept of a gift giving economy. The conference hosted many women speakers from around the globe (my mother included) to speak on the many different facets of this concept, and the multiple strategies for implementing and honoring a radically different economic system, therefore shifting the paradigm. Many of the speakers were Indigenous women from a variety of cultures, representing the ancient economic system of gift giving practiced in their communities. This was a powerful experience to have preceding my experience with the Huichol people, because it awakened me to the incredible gifts I was preparing to give and receive.

The work of the Huichol Center is incredibly multi-faceted, and my experience here has been respectively so. I have had the opportunity to participate in many different aspects of the Center’s endeavors, and I have observed the intricacy of its efforts to keep Huichol culture living in the face of many threats. The Huichol people have been facing the pressures of dominant capitalist society roughly since 1971, which relatively is a short period of time. Their integration into modern society augmented when people fled their protected rural communities in search of capital income. Though there are still many people who have not left their communities in search of outside work, there are also many people who left in the 70s and have not returned to their communities. With respect to the diversity of challenges Huichols face both inside and outside of their communities, the Center serves as a network of support that assists Huichol people in creating a balance between preserving their rich traditional culture and maintaining culturally relevant livelihood through acts of self-determination.

When I arrived at the Center I was both amazed and intimidated at the same time. I was astonished by the incredible art that decorates the walls, and enchanted by the piercing beauty of the people who create it. I felt a bit intimidated because I could feel that some people were uncomfortable with my presence but I did my best to remain open and radiate the kindness that lives in my heart. The children were the reflections of the openness I was striving to maintain, and I was grateful when I was presented with the joy of working with them. The first day I was in Huejuquilla, Susana asked me if I liked kids, and I responded by telling her that I love them, and I would love to work with them. She mentioned that she had been thinking I could read to the children at the school, and I smiled at the synchronicity that I had carried with me a children’s book called `Los Niños de La Madre Naturaleza`(The Children of Mother Nature), with the intent of gifting it to the children. I knew it was going to be difficult, and that it would help me tremendously to develop my skills in spoken Spanish.

The school is for the children of the parents who work at the Huichol Center and it is absolutely precious. I have had the pleasure of living in an apartment above it during my work here, and working there every afternoon. The kids are provided with a variety of culturally relevant materials created by the Huichol Center that help them learn in both Huichol and Spanish, while simultaneously teaching them to value the sacred treasure that is their culture. The teacher’s name is Vicki, who is great with the kids, a pleasure to work with, and ended up being one of my good friends. She certainly has her hands full with the school, and while she is giving one-on-one attention to the older kids, the younger kids tend to wander off and engage in whatever is interesting in the moment. I was able to observe where I could be of assistance in plugging the younger kids into activities as well, so they get the one-on-one time that they equally need.

Spanish is also a second language spoken by the children, and some of them speak much more Huichol than Spanish. This was an advantage because there was a special balance among us, I was able to read to them and some of them didn’t notice my mistakes, while others were able to correct me and help me to read better. I learned an incredible amount from the kids, and they enjoyed learning from the reading as well. Sometimes with the younger kids it was as simple as allowing them to thumb through the books and ask questions about what they saw, and we would talk about the subjects together. In some ways it reminded me of working at the Farm School, and I was thankful for the previous experience I had working with the Farm kids and Kids To The Country. Of course it was also extremely different, and I had to adjust to the different methods of teaching and different cultural behaviors, which helped me to diversify my skills working with children in a learning environment.

The one difference that was difficult for me to integrate was the way the kids often use violence to communicate. Since non- violence is something we stress so greatly in our work with kids on The Farm, it was challenging to accept that the teachings around this are different here. Trying not to impose my own philosophy, I talked to some of the kids about the alternatives to using violence as a means to express our feelings, and they were receptive. I cannot express how blessed I feel to have gotten to know these kids, they are ancient and wise, youthful and full of sweetness, and they welcomed me with their precious open hearts.

Plenty’s collaboration with the Huichol Center is beginning to blossom with new possibilities, and I have had the opportunity to observe and participate in the process very closely. The soy project that has been in the works here for a couple of years is now reaching the point where the center is producing soy products for the community, both Huichol and Mexican.

The truck and equipment arrives at the Huichol Center
Susana, Chuck, Louise, Celena, and Jeffrey

When Louise and I arrived here the location destined to be the Soy Dairy was empty, and had several minor problems, including electrical wiring as well as drainage flaws. Together we worked with Susana Valadez and some other Huichol Center staff for almost one full month on smoothing out many details in preparation for the arrival of new equipment. The equipment included a large vapor pot to cook soymilk, an ice cream machine, a large cooling tank, several large pots, calcium sulfate, and two sacks of organic soybeans, all of which were to increase the potential for production tremendously. Without a second to spare, the location was ready and everything was in impressive order by the time Chuck and Jeff arrived with the equipment. They were ready to take full advantage of the short time we had together to teach us to run the machines, and assess the need for more materials and any changes to be made in the building. We had our work cut out for us! Aside from a few minor catastrophes, we accomplished a whole lot in a short amount of time, and everything went fairly smoothly.

By the time Chuck and Jeffrey left, we were exhausted but very excited about the potential of the project. The equipment was up and running just in time for the holidays, and we spent a memorable Solstice with several Huichol women preparing atole (a soy and cornmeal drink) from fresh soy milk, chocolate tofu pie, and tamales with fresh okara (the pulp that remains from making soymilk and tofu) in the masa (the dough made from ground corn, lime and water), some with chipotle (smoked jalapeno chili pepper) flavored tofu filling. At one point there was a large rainbow right outside of the window where we were working. It felt like a blessing for the project to flourish, and with patience we will watch it evolve.

The literal seeds of the project are in place, as the Huichol Center is conducting a seed trial analysis project to find the most efficient varieties of soy beans to grow in this region.

Candelario and Chuck discuss preserving traditional corn seed strains on Huichol Center corn and soy test fields.

Beginning with about 30 varieties two years ago, last year it was narrowed down to 19, and currently Candelario Vasquez, the agricultural technician, is working on eliminating more varieties for this year’s crop. The trials are projected to be complete in about another four years. This was another project that I participated in, which helped me to appreciate the agricultural and scientific importance of establishing soy as a staple crop in this community. Once the seed trials are complete, it will be more practical to expand the project up into the more rural Huichol communities in the Sierras, where malnutrition is much more of a serious issue.

The future of the soy project remains to be seen, as the Huichol Center on its own has a wealth of initiated projects concerning other important issues which face the Huichols today, as well as for their future. I have certainly encountered a bit of skepticism around the soy project from some that work here, as well as enthusiasm from others. Some have brought to light that the Center is intended for cultural survival, and that soy is not an indigenous food to the Huichols, nor is it familiar to prepare foods through elaborate processes. This is a very relevant point, and it is also true that soy foods offer a remedy for issues of malnutrition in their communities, and the preparation process for individual kitchens is relatively very simple. Expansion of the project in the coming years will hopefully help to remedy some of the malnutrition in the Sierra, where it is a more of a necessity. Others have maintained that the project seems out of place in the context of the Center’s other work. I can see how it may seem like that now, but in the future I think it will become clearer how the projects are integrated. Aside from providing an additional local, income generating business for the center, the dairy will also train many Huichol women with new and valuable skills in food processing and preparation.

In the last conversation I had with Lisa before I left for Mexico, I asked her if there was anything in particular that I should pay attention to throughout my work here. She answered that I should observe how life is for the Huichol women in the community, as women’s issues were deeply important to Karen, and are as well to myself and to Lisa. As a feminist, this is something that I do naturally, and I came into this experience with cultural relativity in the forefront of my observations as to be sensitive to the experiences of Huichol women. During my time here I have also been reading the book Daughters of Abya Yala; Indigenous Women Regaining Control as to witness the testimonies of other Indigenous women from around the world. This book helped me to gain a sense of relativity, as well as to see the common threads among the struggles of all Indigenous women. I would like to include one excerpt which struck me as incredibly important; "The role of the Indigenous woman remains fundamental at this critical time as a dynamic being in the preservation of historic and cultural values and economies of self-sustaining development, which for thousands of years prevented the global ecological crisis with which humanity is now confronted." –Renilda Martinez, Wayùu. This excerpt articulates the truth of Huichol women’s contributions to their communities, as dynamic beings fulfilling fundamental roles.

Through witnessing the testimonies of several Huichol women, I was saddened to see that in some cases they are treated as much less than the dynamic beings that they are. In the face of cultural integration, Huichol women endure the hardships brought upon them by alcoholism, domestic violence, and bearing many children from very young ages. Polygamy was a common practice in Huichol culture prior to outside influences, and today approximately 50% of Huichol men have more than one wife. However, many women raise the children on their own, as polygamous relations have become more difficult to endure with the infiltration of alcohol and machismo customs into the practice. Several women shared with me that they left when their husbands wanted to take on another wife, some of them taking the children to raise them on their own outside their communities. The Huichol community in Huejuquilla is unique as the Huichol Center offers support to single mothers and families who have been victims of violence and alcoholism in their communities. My observations have been specific to this community, and I don’t know how severe these issues are in the Sierra. I was told, however, by a mother, that she feels the community here in Huejuquilla to be much safer for her and her children than their home in the Sierra, though I don’t know the details of her experience.

Concerned particularly about the young single mothers here, I spoke with Susana about the possibility of forming an educational support group for the young women to teach them of the options they have for birth control. She told me that the Huichol Center held classes in the past, but they didn’t seem to make much of a difference because the presenters used scientific language that the Huichol people didn’t understand, and the women were not able to assimilate the information very well. As Susana mentioned to me, it is true that it is a cultural custom to have children at a young age, and it is something that outsiders may observe, but not judge. However it is equally important that the women are not oppressed and children are not neglected. It would be empowering for these women to know that they have options, so they can make wise decisions for themselves and their families. The young women were often shocked when I told them that I am 21 and single, without kids, it was like they didn’t know it was possible to live that way.

I also observed how the Huichol Center offers a place where Mexicans and Huichols can experience common ground. The general relationship between the two groups reflects the global denigration of Indigenous people by their colonizers. Huichol people are considered to intrinsically be of a much lower class, and are often treated with disrespect by the Mexicans. As it is now, the Center would not function without the collaboration of both Huichols and Mexicans, and they have an opportunity to get to know one another as people, transcending the stereotypes and prejudices. Through speaking with some of the Mexican participants at the Center, I learned of how their perspectives have shifted through their time working at the center. Some said before working at the Center they were very afraid of the Huichols, and through time they have realized that they are people just the same, and have even become friends with some of them. Another told me that her parents used to use stereotypes in her house about the Huichols, telling her and her siblings that if they did something a certain way, they would be less, like the Huichols. She has come to realize that this is nothing but a judgment, an ignorant statement. Through the Huichol Center, some are able to become allies across the boundaries of classism and racism, helping to alleviate this dynamic in the greater community.

For the first month of my time here I was accompanied by Louise, which helped me to integrate into the experience, as she was already familiar with the people and the area. Collaborating with Louise in this work was like an apprenticeship, and we enjoyed working together very much. I was able to observe and participate in processes and experiments in which Louise has expertise, and in offering my support, I learned through experience. This type of working relationship between generations is very important to cultivate, and I think has the potential to strengthen Plenty’s work and assure its continuity. We, the youth have much to learn from the experiences and studies of our elders, and we also have vitality and fresh insight to offer.

This brings me to reflect on the experience I had here when I learned of Thomas Wartingers passing. Thomas had a very special hand in making this experience possible for me, and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to work closely with him and Lisa before he passed. When my mother notified us of what had happened, I felt very moved and my heart felt more open than it had since we arrived. I took some time to be alone and process the wave of emotion that had come through me, and I reflected upon the strength of this spiritual message. I felt as though I was a point in some sort of trinity, as I was brought here in honor of Karen, and in the process of my work Tom passed as well. In feeling the magnitude of both of their influences on my present experience, I was deeply thankful for the opportunity to clearly recognize the importance of continuing their work. I am sad that I will not have an opportunity to share with him the richness of my experience here, and what I hope to do is radiate the inspiration that I have felt as a result of this special collaboration. Tom’s passing is yet another opportunity for the youth to recognize the gifts that our elders offer to our community. May his work be continued through those he has impacted, and those who reflect his vision and hearts calling.

This has been one of the most challenging and enriching experiences of my life, and I am deeply grateful to all those who helped to make it possible. The Huichol people are very strong, visionary, and potent. I have been deeply humbled and awakened to new levels of appreciation. Being in the presence of so much intricate, vibrant, ancient artwork has been therapeutic in and of itself, and the opportunities I have had to learn about it in more depth have been blessings I will carry with me forever. To witness such an entity as the Huichol Center working to alleviate the immense pressures and challenges facing the Huichols has been both inspiring and heartbreaking. Susana has dedicated an immense amount of energy to the Huichol people, and continues to pursue new ideas to evolve the network of support that the Huichol Center provides.

Indigenous issues are very delicate, and I have seen how one organization works to build a bridge between cultural preservation and modern livelihood. This is work that I believe in with all of my heart and passion, and I now have intimately witnessed one case of its implementation.

Read Celena's previous article about working with the Huichols, Winter 2004-5