PROJECTS
The TLG’s first project began with the Huicholes, an indigenous people living in the Mexican Sierra Occidental Mountains. The Huichol, or Wirarika (as they call themselves), belong to an ancient culture that extends, virtually unchanged, back into the mists of the Paleolithic era. The Huichol are a hunter-gatherer people who began planting corn, squash and beans about 9 thousand years ago. These plants co-evolved within their developing agrarian culture until they metamorphosed into the large, sweet, and fleshy forms that we recognize today: Corn was once a short, slender grass, today known as teosinte; squash but a thin-shelled, violently bitter fruit.
The present TLG plan includes conservation of holy sites in the Sierra Madres, land purchase for deer re-population projects, and the restoration of an ancient sacred spring, with the given name Tatei Matineri. Drinking water from this spring has been an integral part of Huichol pilgrimages for many millennia.
The pilgrimage begins with an all-night chant during which ritual preparation for a deer hunt takes place. A deer must be attained the following day for the pilgrimage to proceed. The pilgrimage consists of a seven to nine day journey that culminates in visitation to the desert holy land of ‘Wirikuta’. Wirikuta is a mythical realm from whence commenced the creation of the world. As such, annual or biannual pilgrimages are essential to the survival of Huichol culture.
The sacred spring is presently surrounded by a cattle ranch. Cattle defecate directly into the small water hole resourced by the spring—with resultant contamination of the waters the people use to drink. Restoration of this spring would prevent the Huichol people from incurring gastro-intestinal illnesses that are currently endemic among many Huichol who make the pilgrimage.
The necessity for deer farms is due to depletion of the original deer populations within Huichol lands. Depletion is so severe that in some areas Huichol communities find great difficulty obtaining deer when they need them for ceremony. The decimation of deer populations is largely due to ‘profit hunting’ by ranchers who encroach upon Huichol territories.
The TLG is actively engaged in land conservation programs in Los Amoles, within the Sierra Madres, and in and around the sacred spring of Tatei Matineri.
By addressing situations such as these, The Tree of Life Guardianship hopes to ensure the continuation of Huichol life-ways for many millenniums to come.
The Black Hawk War Documentary Film Project
"The Ute children and people need a hero, and Black Hawk is our man," said Forrest Cuch Executive Director of Indian Affairs in Utah. One of the most brilliant and compassionate leaders of the 1800's, his story nearly lost to time will finally be told.
"I learned from the Ute, that if their story is going to be told, it will be them who will need tell it," said Phillip B Gottfredson writer/researcher/producer. "When I learned several years back that my great-grandfather Peter Gottfredson spent most of his time living in the Ute camps, I set out to try and understand what his experience was like. I had no way of knowing where my path would lead me to." Phil went on to say, "While this documentary is not about me, but rather it is about the Ute and a powerful warrior and leader called Black Hawk, I never before imagined that a people and their leader could be subjected to such cruelty, and no one knows about it. It has simply been ignored. When the Division of Indian Affairs asked me if I would make a film about the Black Hawk War in Utah, I was stunned. (To learn more please click here.)
