Wixarika Research Center

“IRS REFUND 121 TOTAL 121”

“Expenses office expense 253 internet 547 web hosting 299 bank charges 55 computer 297 po box rental fee 186 solar oven project 5,523 telephone 852 non-investment depreciation 1,087 total 9,099”

“Other depreciable asset 45,852 46,691 less accumulated depreciation 45,286 46,373 yarn paintings by jose benitez sanch 23,750 23,750 total 24,316 24,068”

“Advocacy for the huichol indians in mexico, and preservation and promotion of the huichol culture and artwork.”

“The wixrika research center maintains an online world-class archive of wixrika (huichol) art and culture to educate the public about this unique and extraordinary culture. Through the foundation's web site, we raise public awareness about the challenges these people are facing today due to their rapidly changing environment. It is our hope that the website will amplify their voices and add weight to their opinions and concerns. Our website, which is published in english and spanish, gives the public access to images of an extraordinary collection of their traditional, sacred, and contemporary art as well as publishing news on relevant current events. The initial work the wixarika research center consists of preserving photographs, documents, tape recordings and images of sacred, traditional, and contemporary art, collected or photographed by juan and yvonne negrin from 1970 to present. The paper archives being digitalized include copies of documents and news reports pertaining to past and present land disputes, the exploitation of the wixarika people's natural resources, and community documents and petitions drawn up at their general assemblies. Hundreds of color transparencies taken by juan & yvonne negrin are being scanned in high resolution for preservation. These photographs are unique because the wixarika communities rarely permitted cameras to be used to capture their way of life, their ceremonies, or their sacred spots by outsiders. An exception was made in the case of the negrn's because of their dedicated work in defending the land and resources of the wixarika people and the non-profit nature of the work they carried out over several decades. The tape recordings to be converted into digital format consist of sacred chants, oral history as recounted by the council of elders, traditional music, community assemblies and interviews. Presently the tapes are on cassettes and the digital conversion is necessary in order to preserve this important body of work. During the spring and summer of 2013, hans michael jantzen continued to donate two to three eight hour days per week working with yvonne negrn on the organization of the photo archives of juan negrn. He continued to scan the most important slides from each roll of film in high resolution. The digital photo archive now numbers more than 1,300 images of ceremonies, sacred sites, portraits of people and families, and pilgrimages. In late september of 2013, anthony somkin retired from his practice in medicine and replaced hans michael jantzen as the volunteer to work with juan and yvonne negrn on the organization and documentation of the photo archives. Dozens of portraits of individuals and families were printed and taken to the sierras and given to them as gifts. At the close of the fiscal year at the end of april the work on the archives was ongoing. Plinio hernandez continued working on the digitalization of audio cassettes of conversations and interviews as time permitted and by the end of the fiscal year this work was nearly finished. At a later date we will seek a grant to cover the cost of having the audio cassettes of traditional music and sacred chants digitalized in a professional studio where they can be restored and digitalized for the highest quality sound possible. In the spring of 2013, the director of our foundation, juan negrn, was contacted by the director of the muse d'arts africains, ocaniens, amrindiens in marseille, france and was requested to assist them documenting their collection of wixrika yarn paintings for a major exhibit on "huichol (wixrika) art. This work eventually expanded and juan began working with michel perrin, a well know anthropologist at the college of france in paris, advising him on cultural and spiritual practices of the wixrika people in preparation for a hard cover book to be published and presented at the time of the above mentioned exhibit. The exhibit is scheduled to open in september 2014 and will highlight the beauty and”