Commodified Spirituality: Tourism and Indigenous Heritage Practices in Huautla De Jimenez, Mexico

Abstract

With the rapid emergence of ever more diverse forms of cultural tourism, sacred indigenous practices around the world are increasingly becoming part of the repertoire of experiences available in the global travel market. Particularly, the growing tourist use of sacred plants with psychoactive properties in shamanic contexts is a sensitive issue that is still under-researched. By implementing an ethnographic case study approach in the Mazatec town of Huautla de Jimenez (HDJ), Mexico, this study analyses the effects of the touristic commodification of sacred-plant ceremonies in the social capital of indigenous communities. Findings reveal that tensions and disputes based on differing aspirations between traditionalists and modernists residents of HDJ have emerged as a result of the commodification of sacred-mushroom rituals or veladas. The lack of trust relations among local stakeholders diminishes the collective capacity to implement community-based initiatives of cultural heritage conservation and sustainable tourism development, which is indicative of a fractured social capital. Although the effects of neo-shamanic tourism in HDJ match those of more traditional forms of tourism in rural and indigenous settings, the case study of HDJ exemplifies how the touristic commodification of culture has reached the most sacred and intimate cultural practices in the most remote corners of the world. Findings are placed on a global context to enhance a holistic understanding of how touristic commodification of intangible cultural heritage affects structural relations of social capital in destination communities.

The Contribution of Mycological Tourism to Well-Being, the Economy and Sustainable Development

“…In countries such as China, the edible mushroom industry has become an important economic factor, being the leading country in production [ 21 ]. In turn, the tourism sector has developed a niche tourism related to mushrooms, which is a great source of income through the consumption of this product or the development of activities, events, festivals, and rituals [ 38 , 39 , 45 ]. Examples are the “Mushroom Food Culture Festival” of Nanhua County (China) [ 21 ], the “International Wild Fungi Festival” in Piedra Canteada (Mexico), the “Christchurch Mushroom Festival” (New Zealand) [ 43 ], the “Gastronomic Mushroom Festival” in Alta Ribagorça (Spain) [ 39 ] or the ancient mushroom rituals in Oaxaca (Mexico) [ 45 ].…”

“…Mushroom tourism contributes favourably to the economies of Spanish regions such as Catalonia, with an economic impact of 800,000 euros per year [ 39 ], or Castilla y León, with an average annual expenditure associated with mycological tourists of 4.5 million euros and an annual job creation of 46 jobs on average [ 40 ]. It has positioned itself as a tourist activity that enhances the value of villages and rural areas, diversifying the offer, favouring economic development, and restoring their social fabric [ 38 , 39 , 42 , 43 , 45 ].…”

“…In addition, mushroom picking has been considered a way of life and part of the local culture of rural populations, so mycological tourism promotes and safeguards the traditions of the villages and transmits the personal feeling towards the place that its population has [ 39 ]. The Mexican community of Oaxaca, known for its “magic mushrooms”, has a tourism promotion strategy for the consumption of these mushrooms through rituals or veladas , claiming the therapeutic potential of these psilocybin mushrooms [ 45 ]. For them, these rituals present a form of healing and increase the wellbeing of the participants.…”

“…For them, these rituals present a form of healing and increase the wellbeing of the participants. [ 45 ] We can therefore say that this tourist activity improves the quality of life of society as a whole [ 42 ].…”

Ngalaksa Traditional Ceremony as a Local Wisdom to Maintain Community Social Interaction

“…Contemporary science and technology largely widen the gap between the spiritual and ritual of society. With the rapid emergence of increasingly diverse forms of cultural tourism, the sacred practices of indigenous peoples worldwide are increasingly becoming part of the range of experiences available on the global travel market (Ovies and Bautista, 2021). Industrial and technological breakthroughs might radically affect most societal processes, thus losing the cultural heritage (Khazbulatov and Nurpeiis, 2012).…”