The Huichols (or Wixárika) of western Mexico are among the most
resilient and iconic indigenous groups in Mexico today. In the
Lands of Fire and Sun examines the Huichol Indians as they
have struggled to maintain their independence over two centuries.
From the days of the Aztec Empire, the history of west-central
Mesoamerica has been one of isolation and a fiercely independent
spirit, and one group that maintained its autonomy into the days of
Spanish colonization was the Huichol tribe. Rather than
assimilating into the Hispanic fold, as did so many other
indigenous peoples, the Huichols sustained their distinct identity
even as the Spanish Crown sought to integrate them. In
confronting first the Spanish colonial government, then the Mexican
state, the Huichols displayed resilience and cunning as they
selectively adapted their culture, land, and society to the
challenges of multiple new eras. By incorporating elements of
archaeology, anthropology, cultural geography, and history, Michele
McArdle Stephens fills the gaps in the historical documentation,
teasing out the indigenous voices from travel accounts, Spanish
legal sources, and European ethnographic reports. The result
is a thorough examination of one of the most vibrant, visible
societies in Latin America.