Mexico's Wixárika pilgrimage route's future, following UNESCO recognition

Mexico's Wixárika pilgrimage route's future, following UNESCO recognition - what lies ahead?

Mexico has recently received the prestigious designation of UNESCO World Heritage for the trail to Wirikuta, known as the Birthplace of the Sun. This recognition holds great cultural significance for the Wixárika, an Indigenous people of the Western Sierra Madre in Jalisco, Nayarit, and Durango, who consider Wirikuta as their most sacred temple, where they pray with their sacred plant, the "hikuri" or peyote cactus.

However, this designation comes with concrete obligations that Mexico must fulfill to maintain Wirikuta's World Heritage status. The Mexican government must establish a Management Unit and implement an Integrated plan that covers conservation, safeguarding, access, and enforce strict, culturally appropriate visitor management where it comes into contact with tourists.

Moreover, Mexico must set up a representative oversight committee, approve a workable safeguarding plan, and file regular reports on the route's condition following UNESCO's recognition. The evaluation flags fences and property demarcations that block pilgrims, urging negotiated access agreements and consistent enforcement.

Scholars emphasize that the listing only works if a representative commission is seated, and the management plan truly reflects a living route, not a static monument. The Wixárika Regional Council in Defense of Wirikuta, an indigenous organization that represents the Wixárika (Huichol) people, plays a crucial role in protecting the sacred territory of Wirikuta.

Unfortunately, Wirikuta is under threat from various pressures, including mining (including new interest near San Luis Potosí), vast expanses of greenhouses for tomato production, factory farms, peyote extraction, and urban growth. Researchers are seeing large water demands for industrial agriculture and link dried springs and lagoons to cumulative pumping, greenhouse expansion, and road cuts. Mining, if allowed, would require vast water inputs, and impacts must be measured at the watershed scale, they say, not just as dots on a map.

To close loopholes and strengthen enforcement, leaders want the Wirikuta Natural Protected Area - currently state-level in San Luis Potosí - to be moved to federal status. They also emphasize the need for a coordinating body that ensures Wixárika participation and protects the route's Outstanding Universal Value and key attributes.

The Wixárika maintain their language, communal governance, and a rigorous ceremonial calendar led by mara'akate (spiritual guides). Despite facing numerous challenges, they continue to preserve their culture and traditions. The designation of Wirikuta as a World Heritage site is a significant step towards protecting this sacred land and its people.

Mexico is a party to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which obligates the government to safeguard Wirikuta's Outstanding Universal Value. The first such honor in Latin America for a living Indigenous tradition, this designation underscores the importance of preserving cultural and natural heritage for future generations.

Nearly 80 mining concessions have been granted that cover more than two-thirds of the Wirikuta Natural Protected Area. Wixárika authorities and the Wixárika Regional Council have repeatedly demanded the cancellation of these concessions affecting Wirikuta. It is crucial for Mexico to align cultural-heritage, environmental, land-use, and water rules to protect Wirikuta and uphold its commitment to UNESCO.

In conclusion, the designation of Wirikuta as a World Heritage site presents both an opportunity and a challenge for Mexico. By fulfilling its obligations and working closely with the Wixárika community, Mexico can ensure the preservation of this sacred land and its cultural significance for generations to come.

Mexico's Wixárika pilgrimage route's future, following UNESCO recognition - what lies ahead?