By John Dickie
For UNIVISION NEWS
By JOHN DICKIE
Despite
what some believe was a government effort to undermine its effectiveness,
Wirikutafest went off without a hitch this past weekend. Café Tacvba, Julieta
Venegas, and Calle 13, among others, played at the music festival in support of
the Wixárika people (commonly known as Huicholes), one of Mexico’s oldest and
most traditional Indian groups.
The
Wixárika holy land in the desert of San Luis Potosi, called Wirikuta, is still
under threat from Canadian mining company First Majestic, which plans to
exploit the area for its silver and gold, with potentially grave ecological and
cultural consequences for the region, a UNESCO-protected site. Many local
residents however are in favor of the mining project, citing the fact that it
would bring much-needed jobs.
Last week,
Mexican officials announced the creation of an ambiguously titled “Mining
Reserve” which they say will prohibit mining in a 45,000-hectare area inside
the Wirikuta perimeter, and offered 761 hectares of the sacred mountain Cerro
Quemado to the Wixárika. Indian leaders refused the offer and pointed out that
this area is just a small portion of the 140,000 hectares of holy land they are
trying to protect.
The
festival, held in Mexico City’s Foro Sol, also featured Los Caifanes, Enrique
Bunbury, Lengualerta and Ely Guerra, and was organized by Café Tacvba singer
Rubén Albarrán, Roco Pachukote of La Maldita Vecindad and Aho Colectivo to
raise funds for the Wixárika in their struggle.
