The Dance of the Deer Foundation

The Dance of the Deer Foundation, Center for Shamanic Studies, was founded in 1979 to preserve the shamanic practices and traditions of the Huichol culture of central Mexico. The Huichol people are a small ethnic group of some 15,000 individuals residing near Ixtlan in the Sierra Madre Mountains noteworthy for the preservation of their pre-Columbian traditions. Integral to Huichol culture is the work of its shamans and healers, who appear to practice today in the same manner as their ancient forefathers. Huichol shamanism honors creation, especially the spirit of nature, and involves healing and empowerment through personal transformation as well as the healing of the larger social context. Each individual is pictured as a miniature model of the whole universe, within whom possesses the wisdom of the whole. Shamanism teaches its practitioners to apprehend that arrangement and to understand and to live in harmony with the natural and spiritual worlds.

The foundation was established by Brant Secunda, who had been inspired by his grandfather and teacher, Don José Matsuwa (1880-1990), the renowned Huichol shaman. Don José believed that the Huichol traditions were available for everyone with an open heart and hoped that those people who learned of the Huichol way would want to support the survival of his people. He commissioned his grandson to continue his work. For his part, Secunda completed 12 years of apprenticeship with his grandfather prior to assuming his role as director of the foundation. He has as a major goal the integration of shamanism into the world of modern medicine.

The foundation sponsors a range of workshops, pilgrimages, vision quests, and holistic medical conferences at many locations around the world. It also works to build an economic base for the Huichol people so they can continue their primarily corn-oriented agricultural existence. The foundation is headquartered at P.O. Box 699, Soquel, CA 95073. Its webpage may be found at http://www.shamanism.com/.

Sources:

Dance of the Deer Foundation. http://www.shamanism.com/. February 25, 2000.