Roughly, ten to fourteen thousand Huichol Indians occupy the Sierra Madre of North Central Mexico. Religion and magic permeates all of life for the Huichol and art is prayer and direct communication with the sacred realm. To the Huichols religion is not a part of life, it is life. Their art is a direct extension of their religion and it is made not from the standpoint of decoration but to give profound expression to concepts of spiritual beliefs.

Traditional Huichol art, whether it be meticulous beadwork, yarn paintings, masks, votive bowls and arrows or striking embroidered and woven personal adornments, are beautiful not only from the aesthetic standpoint but from the psychological as well.

The consumption of Huichol art by tourists, serious collectors and museums throughout the world has grown rapidly in the past ten years. It is a precious legacy worthy of respect and preservation because it remains so unmistakenly Native American in a larger world that becomes increasingly more uniform with each passing day.