Leonarda Carrillo

Leonarda-Carrillo

 

I am a mother of three who came from the mountains in northwest Jalisco. I am part of a group called Wixáritari, more commonly known as the Huicholes peoples, who are a pre-Hispanic indigenous culture known for their art and colorful clothing, yet we face enormous challenges and discrimination in Mexico. As a child with limited opportunities, I made the decision to leave my village and move to the coast; Since then I have kept myself and my children making figures and jewelry in the traditional huichol style and selling them to tourists, wearing beeswax, chaquiras of different colors and threads to create bright patterns with deer, snakes, flowers, etc.