Wirikuta is a desert, sacred to the Wixárika (Huichol) Indians high in the mountains of central Mexico, between the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Zacatecas ranges, near Real de Catorce. In Wixárika cosmology, the world was believed to have been created in Wirikuta. Wirikuta is the focus of a yearly pilgrimage in which community members, led by maraka'ames (shamans), travel approximately 250 miles (400 kilometers) from Jalisco to San Luis Potosí. The area in which the pilgrimage occurs is protected as a UNESCO Natural Sacred Area, but is at risk for exploitation and environmental damage by the foreign mining company First Majestic Silver. Sacred places The sun made its first appearance in Wirikuta, and it is the sacred land of the Wixárikas (Huichol's) deified ancestors. They have sacred places on each one of the cardinal directions and the center. Teakata (Santa Catarina, Jalisco), Center Huaxamanaka (Cerro Gordo, Durango), North Haramara (San Blas, Nayarit), West Xapawleyeta (Isla de los Alacranes del Lago Chapala, Jalisco), South. Wirikuta, East. Huichols carry out yearly pilgrimages to Wirikuta or Huiricuta. Between October and March, they follow the journey of their deities from Haramara's sea to the place where the Sun appeared (Reunax), the Cerro Quemado (Leunaxü). Those Gods were guided by Tatewari, the Grandfather Fire. There, a Deer (maxa) used his horns to rise the sun to the sky, illuminating the world. Pilgrimage In order to follow the sacred journey, every year the maraka'ames (shamans) travel 250 miles (400 kilometers) from Wixarica's area in Jalisco to San Luis Potosí. At the beginning they walk towards Takata, a sacred area in Sierra Madre Occidental where the temple guard (xuxuricare) will ask for a safe journey. The next step is kalihuey, a Main Temple where they join Wixarica's authorities. They collect peyote - a cactus containing hallucinogens - along the way, they believe the peyote enables the Wixarica (Huichol) to commune directly with their ancestors and deities. At the end they collect hikuri and take it back to their homes, recreating life's cycle. Groups travel under the direction of a leading shaman, but may include other shamans who assist on the journey, apprentice shamans, and family groups which may include children. The lead shaman advises participants on their ingestion of peyote and other behavior. Abstinence and purification are important parts of the journey. Participants abstain from sex, and abstain from or limit food, water, and sleep. Early