The Evolution of Huichol Art along with Tourism: Between Appreciation and Appropriation

Abstract

In order to attract tourists to western Mexico, the culture of its indigenous people, especially of the Huichol or Wixáritari, is promoted by emphasizing their “authenticity†and “exoticismâ€. The Huichol artists and craftsmen are well aware of the image that they project and have learned to develop their art and craft along with tourism. The selling of Huichol art and crafts can be very lucrative and for that reason many other actors aim to appropriate the Huichol culture, world view and iconography: governmental institutions, traders, travel agencies, collectors, etc. In this paper, the ambiguous and problematic relation that connects these actors, and the adaptations and strategies that the Huichol artists and craftsmen are using to adapt to this context will be analyzed.