Extra Material from Ja Jornada
On Saturday, September 8, 2018 Maracame Margarito Díaz González, representative of the Wirikuta Security Council, was murdered when he arrived home. Armed men arrived at his home, located in Aguamilpa, municipality of Nayar, in the state of Nayarit, and shot him in the face, according to the website Somos el Medio.
Margarito was known for his defense of the sacred sites of the Wixárika people, before the arrival of the Canadian mining companies in the Wirikuta area in the state of San Luis Potosí.
This Tuesday the Marakame was dismissed, ie enterred, by his community, who considered him "an honest, fair human being, a man of great faith in his Wixárika culture", according to Somos el Medio.
The Wixárika people demanded that the Governor of Nayarit, Antonio Echevarría García, demand an investigation, clarify the murder and respect indigenous rights.
For the Wixárita people, a Marakame is a type of Huichol "shaman" who knows the ritual texts and knows how to recite them, as well as having a magical ability to communicate with the gods. He is also responsible for the welfare of the community as its guide.

















