The

Huichol people The Huichol or Wixárika are an indigenous people of Mexico and the United States living in the Sierra Madre Occidental range in the states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Zacatecas, and Durango, as well as in the United States in the states of California, ...

of western

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

exude an enduring spirit and passion to hold on to their traditions. This is exemplified in the pilgrimage route between

Nayarit Nayarit (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit), is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its ...

and Huiricuta, stretching nearly 800 km, wherein dozens of sacred sites are visited along the way. The route follows the old pre-Hispanic

trade routes A trade route is a Logistics, logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over bodies of water. Allowing Good (economics and accounti ...

between the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

and the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. One of the most important of these routes, to Huiricuta or

Wirikuta Wirikuta is a desert, sacred to the Wixárika (Huichol) Indians high in the mountains of central Mexico, between the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Zacatecas ranges, near Real de Catorce. In Wixárika cosmology, the world was believed to have been ...

, is known as such for its historical importance in the preservation of Huichol cultural as well as the sheer proliferation of pilgrims that follow the route. Because the Huichol have no written language, the pilgrimage has the added importance of linking populations of Huichol and disseminating knowledge of culture and reinforcing cultural practices.

World Heritage status

This site was added to the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Tentative List on December 6, 2004 in the Mixed (Cultural + Natural) category.Huichol Route through the sacred sites to Huiricuta (Tatehuari Huajuye) - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
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Notes

References

Huichol Route through the sacred sites to Huiricuta (Tatehuari Huajuye) - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Retrieved 2009-03-02. {{DEFAULTSORT:Huichol Route To Huiricuta Huichol Religion in Mexico World Heritage Tentative List for Mexico