Dear Friends,

I am writing to ask for your help. We are asking you to buy a book or reserve artwork – and help our Huichol community.

As you may know, Auris Project volunteers have begun working with a traditional Huichol community in a remote village deep in the Sierra Madre mountains of Jalisco. My good friend, Santos Bautista, is a leader of the 300 member indigenous community of Cebolleta and he has asked for the Auris Project’s help with the community’s efforts to begin producing their unique artwork again.

Severe poverty has caused the community to forgo producing their artwork because, as subsistence farmers, they struggle daily to meet basic needs. Also, because they have routinely been forced to sell their art for a fraction of what it is worth, they have been unsuccessful in putting aside revenue for needed materials. For our community in Cebolleta, the very art of survival has threatened their ability to make the art that has been a part of their culture for centuries.

Committed Auris Project volunteers are working diligently to design a program that can help the Huichols of Cebolleta begin producing their artwork in a sustainable way, raise awareness about their fascinating and important culture, and stimulate respectful international markets for the painstaking work that the Huichols are famous for.  

The process has been a slow one because of the community’s extreme remoteness and the traditional Huichols’ lack of experience dealing with the broader community in Mexico and the world.  Because of the historically severe abuses and discrimination they have suffered, the Huichols have been extremely insular and wary of outsiders. This self-imposed isolation has enabled them to preserve their native language, dress and culture far more than other indigenous communities in Mexico. However, as my friend Santos explained, the traditional community of Cebolleta now understands that the isolation cannot continue if the community is to survive.

The village is in crisis. Crops were poor this year, and the village is running out of resources. Volunteers are working to travel up to the village to bring resources (food, blankets, tools, pesos, etc.) but we have several challenges. First, gasoline prices make the trip prohibitive. Second, we lost a grant that we were counting on. Third, our International Volunteer Program has been cut short this summer, which denied us a source of revenue that we had earmarked for the Huichol project. We have a truckload of items that we need to take up to the village. But we also want to take the message that our friends in Cebolleta are not forgotten, that there is a worldwide community that wishes them well.

Please help us get to Cebolleta.

A Proposal

I have a proposal that I think you will appreciate. I know that the economy is bad for everyone. I know that many  goodhearted people just can't afford to donate to worthy causes right now. If you find that you can donate, please do. We would be extremely grateful. But, I also thought of two ways you can support this project and receive something in return.  

Please buy a book today. 

The Auris Project sells rare, used, and new books through Amazon.com . The bookstore has been a useful way to a support our initiatives. From now though July, 100 percent of the revenue generated from the bookstore will go to helping our community in Cebolleta. By buying a book from the Auris Project, you will be helping us help the Huichols. So please be generous. Buy at least one book. We have all genres covering numerous topics. 

Our motto is: the right information can change the world. Not only are you helping a deserving community by buying a book, you are also acquiring information that you will find useful, entertaining or both.   

Just go to www.aurisproject.org/bookstore, go through the door, and then browse or search our Amazon database for a book you would like. Your purchase will be a big help.  

Please reserve a piece of Huichol art today. 

Our Huichol community still has some pieces of artwork that they would like to sell. This artwork are exquisitely beaded figurines, masks and bracelets. For a limited time only, the art will be offered at half-price.

Also, we ask that you forward this message to any friends, family, or networks you may have and ask them to buy a book, too. You will be helping a truly deserving community preserve an important indigenous culture.

Thank you so much! Please contact me if you have any questions. We hope we can count on you.

Denise McVea, Executive Director, (210)592-7186