Members of the Wixárica indigenous tribe gathered Friday, May 17 at the sacred site of Xapawiyemeta on Lake Chapala’s Isla de los Alacranes for the ritual renovation of the thatched roofed Xiriki temple situated there.
Wixária authorities from San Sebastián Teponahuaxtlán and Tuxpan de Bolaños received Jalisco Culture Secretary Lourdes González, Chapala Director of Culture Jesús Escamilla Ramos and representatives of the National Institute of Anthropology and History.
Xapawiyemeta is formed by a rocky outcropping on the southwest side of the island, an adjacent zalate tree and the lake’s surrounding waters. According to Wixárica beliefs, this is the place where rain was born and humanity emerged after the universal flood. One of the five ceremonial sanctuaries where Wixáritari connect with their ancestors and divinities, it was declared a Jalisco Cultural Patrimony Site in 2017.
The renewal of the Xiriki takes place every five years and is linked to the fulfillment of the charges of the jicareros who carry gourds and arrows in leading ritual offerings practiced at any of the sacred sites.