Huichol Center

Huichol Center for Cultural Survival and Traditional Arts
By Chuck Haren
(At Plenty’s Board meeting in July, Susana Valadez, Director of the HCCSTA, invited Plenty to assist the group in developing a soy foods program. In November, Plenty’s soy specialist, Chuck Haren and his wife, Casta Calderon, also a soy specialist, travelled to Huejuquilla in Mexico to visit Susana and the HCCSTA.)

Casta and I spent three days visiting and working with representatives of the Huichol Center for Cultural Survival and Traditional Arts, HCCSTA. It took us a 24 hour multiple bus ride to get there and a 20 hour multiple bus ride to get back.

The Huichols we met had some knowledge about soybeans because some of their families have received (but not on a regular basis) Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP) products from the Mexican government as part of a nutrition supplementation program. The problem is that most did not know how to cook the TVP and they had very little understanding of nutrition needs or nutrition values of foods. They said a lot of the TVP is given to animals.

HCCSTA members that we met expressed an interest in learning more about soy foods, and they very much want to learn how to increase and sustain nutrition intake for their children.

We found that there is a real need and interest for improving food security and availability of high quality, low cost soy food products in this region. Some but not most farming families are acquainted with growing pinto beans.

In the Huejuquilla area they have only one growing season each year, planting corn in June and July and harvesting from October through November. HCCSTA, having arable land and irrigation equipment, can grow soybeans or other crops during the January to May dry season. They have not tried to do that in the past, but after meeting with us they are going to try to purchase seed and plant a test crop of soybeans this coming January.

I suggested to HCCSTA members that if they want to popularize use of soy foods to help address nutrition and food security needs, it would be in their interest to set up a small Soy Center that could make and sell fresh soy foods in Huejuquilla. Dry products like corn/soy pinole could be sold to a broader market. They are familiar with a product similar to pinole. Any program implemented would need a very strong nutrition education component.

The members want Plenty’s help to carry out soy foods processing and nutrition education programs in Huejuquilla and the rural areas where Huichols live.