Language: Huchoil, Spanish Huichol Indians Huichol ( Wee-chol) people, once nomadic descendents of Aztec Indians , now live in the Sierra Madre Mountains - Mexico Population: Aprox. 26,000 Language: Huchoil, Spanish

Where do the Huichol Indians live? Sierra Madre Mountain Range Remote regions of Mexico (Nayarit, Jalisco, Zacatecas, & Durango) Isolated high in the Sierra Madre mountains of northwestern Mexico, and protected from the outside world for centuries by the natural barrier the mountains afforded, the Huichols have preserved one of the most pure cultures in our hemisphere.

Traditional Lifestyle of the Huichol Historically worked in the tobacco fields Harmful to their health because of pesticides (no longer used) Now money earned selling crafts to tourists Summer-live on ranchos (farms), cheese, milk, maize (corn) tortillas, rice, beans Cattle is only eaten for special celebrations Small communities (nuclear families) live together and share a central kitchen. Marriages are arranged by parents when children are young (14-17)

More recently: Past 30 years, some 4,000 Huichol migrated to cities, this drew attention to yarn paintings. More recently Huichol beading has become very popular.

Even…. A whole VW 2.227.000 glass beads; 16 kilos of beeswax resin; 12 Huichol artisans working for over 9.000 hours; on one Volkswagen Beetle.

Yarn Paintings, Cultural Meaning Yarn Paintings are created by the Huichol as colorful symbols of their religious and cultural beliefs. The deer is often an important religious symbol in many of the yarn paintings. Every color, line, and symbol has a meaning no matter how small or abstract.

How were Yarn Paintings are created Traditionally artists used beeswax and resin on a board. They let the wax warm in the sun and then attached colorful strands of yarn to tell a story.

How we will create Huichol Yarn Paintings Your yarn art will include: Images that symbolize things that are important to your story. Procedure: Sketch out some design ideas. Choose your design and sketch it out on a 9 x 12 board. Mark your color choices with colored pencil. Leave room around your board for a border. Outline your designs with black or a contrasting color. Glue a small area at a time and fill in with yarn. Press the yarn in tightly with a plastic needle or stick. Create interest by varying the direction of the yarn. Elements : Line/Color Principles: Balance/Unity

Huchoil Indian Yarn Paintings - detail

Traditional Yarn Paintings

Traditional Yarn Painting

Traditional Yarn Paintings

Traditional Yarn Paintings

Traditional Yarn Paintings

Yarn Painting - Student Works

Huichol Yarn Painting Please get your projects as you enter! You may start when you have your project. Remember to: Use Newsprint under your work. Shake the glue bottle so that the glue is at the tip. Press the tip of the glue to the cardboard, not too much! Use the “Twisty Method” at the beginning and end of each addition of yarn. Tuck in each new layer of yarn so that no cardboard shows. Great Job!!! Now, work hard so that you will complete your Huichol painting on time.

Please Clean Up! Return your projects to the drying bin labeled with your class hour. Return supplies to the bin: (4 of each) Scissors Pencils Needle tools Wooden sticks Use a wipe to clean your hands, the desk, and then the tip of the glue bottle. Dispose of all of the yarn scraps. Be seated and quiet so that I know your ready to be dismissed! Great Job!!! I will dismiss tables by color when ready.