Peyote Ceremony

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .

sova.nmai.ac.372_ref19

See more items in: Vita Rose photographs of Guadalupe de la Cruz Rios and family

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.

Collection Rights: Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiphotos@si.edu. For personal or classroom use, users are invited to download, print, photocopy, and distribute the images that are available online without prior written permission, provided that the files are not modified in any way, the Smithsonian Institution copyright notice (where applicable) is included, and the source of the image is identified as the National Museum of the American Indian. For more information please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use and NMAI Archive Center's Digital Image request website.

Scope and Contents: View of Hicouri (Peyote), a box of Sherman's cigarillos, and muvieris (prayer arrows) laid out on a flowered fabric, in Nayarit, Mexico. The Hicouri (Peyote) was gathered during the Wixarika (Huichol) pilgrimage to the sacred high desert of Wirikuta (Wiricuta).
Vita Rose Narrative: Hicouri (Peyote) is "hunted" in the desert of Wiricuta with ceremonial arrows. Once the marakame (shaman) finds and shoots una abuela (a large, many clustered grandmother peyote cactus), each pilgrim eats a small piece of the bitter cactus and the hunt continues. Peyote is always harvested leaving the rootstock intact to insure future plant growth. After sunset, the group gathers around Tatewari (Grandfather Fire) and prays that Hicouri send each of them a vision that will guide them on their life's path. The pilgrims smoke Sherman's cigarillos, offering the smoke to the Gods and then carry home koopoori (positive energy) and blessings gathered in their muvieris (prayer arrows make with yam and raptors' feathers).

Collection Restrictions: Access to NMAI Archives Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).

NMAI.AC.372_ref19

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sv4f789f022-9c16-43c4-99dd-1c6211d36066

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.