Culture and Coexistence into the Great Unknown
In this episode of Eco Justice Radio, we journey into the rich and ancient world of Indigenous plant medicine and ethnobotany. We feature excerpts from documentaries and lectures by renowned experts in the field. We explore the sacred use of peyote among Native American tribes and delve into the profound insights of Canadian botanist Wade Davis, Harvard professor Richard Evans Schultes, and the legendary psychonaut Terence McKenna.
In this EcoJustice Radio episode, we discuss the struggle to protect the sacred lands and culture of the Wixárika people, also known popularly as the Huichol, an indigenous group inhabiting the remote reaches of the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. Our guests are Andrea Perez, Indigenous Environmental Justice Advocate, and Susana Valadez Director of the Huichol Center for Cultural Survival and Traditional Arts. Jessica Aldridge did the interview.
Self-promoted as the “Great Beast 666″ from the Bible’s Book of Revelations. Slandered by the British press as the “Wickedest Man in the World.” Yet, theatrical occultist Aleister Crowley pioneered a radical re-imagining of self determination through managing paranormal spiritual entities, shaking up early 20th Century polite society. He founded the libertine religion of Thelema, and through sex rituals and extreme drug abuse emphasized the not-necessarily-wicked ritual practice of Magick.
Two documentary films chronicle the struggle of the Huichol or Wixárika People to protect their culture and spiritual connection with the ancestors, through the journey to Wirikuta, where peyote grows, now threatened by mining and development interests.
Among the Caddo People of Oklahoma, the Coninisi or those who know the spirit medicine through the Ghost Dance religion and the Native American Church, took on the role of mediating relationships between the visible and invisible realms of the world, and between the living community and the souls of deceased ancestors. Thus, despite a tragic history, a people survives today.
Watch the full documentary on the Huichol journey to Wirikuta, where they travel every year to collect peyote. The pilgrimage take place with the intention to return to where life originated and heal oneself and the community.
A documentary in two parts about an independent school Tatuutsí Maxakwaxí of the Wixáritari, in the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. The school focuses on preservation of their ancient culture and providing life tools for the young, enabling their participation in the official educational system of Mexico.