La Ceremonia del Toro

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Collection Citation: Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Vita Rose photographs of Guadalupe de la Cruz Rios and family, image #, NMAI.AC.372; National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center, Smithsonian Institution.

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Scope and Contents: View of a young bull being butchered as part of a Bull Ceremony, in Nayarit, Mexico. The ceremony is marking Maria Felix, niece of Wixarika (Huichol) marakame, or shaman, Guadalupe de la Cruz Rios, completing her vow of traveling five time to the sacred high desert of Wirikuta (Wiricuta).
Vita Rose Narrative: Maria Felix has fulfilled her vow to travel five times to the sacred high desert of Wiricuta. Her family celebrates the occasion with the Bull Ceremony. We Gringos join them in staying up all night to pray and drink liquidos made with hicouri (peyote). At dawn the gentle young bull that we had been petting for a week is led to a clearing in front of the tuki (temple) and sacrificed with a swift knife blow to the heart. His long bellow, his death song, opens a nierika (doorway between the worlds) through which the Gods and Goddesses come down to earth to participate in the ceremony. We bath our muvieris (prayer arrows) in his blood, thus receiving some of his kopoori, his strong life force. The young men who skillfully butcher him let nothing go to waste and the weeklong fast is broken with tacos de toro, seasoned with salsa and gratitude.

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NMAI.AC.372_ref15

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sv40a0dc670-5030-4ea8-8485-e7995eb76c41

NMAI.AC.372

NMAIA

Vita Rose photographs of Guadalupe de la Cruz Rios and family

Creator

Rose, Vita

Summary

This collection includes photographic prints made by Vita Rose circa 1996 of Doña Guadalupe de la Cruz Rios and her family in Nayarit, Mexico. Guadalupe de la Cruz Rios was a Wixarika (Huichol) visual artist, musician, and spiritual leader.