Brant Secunda
Huichol Indian Shaman and Healer
Brant Secunda has dedicated his life towards preserving the Huichol tradition as a living culture by working to integrate the ancient tools of shamanism into the modern world. Members of the international medical, religious and educational communities, including the World Health Organization, have recognized Brant’s commitment -- as well as his knowledge -- by inviting him to be a featured speaker, workshop leader, and participant at various conferences worldwide. Moreover, Brant Secunda has created and maintains a working model for preserving Huichol culture through the auspices of the Dance of the Deer Foundation Center for Shamanic Studies.
The Apprenticeship
Brant Secunda completed a twelve year apprenticeship with the late don José Matsuwa in 1978 to become a shaman and ceremonial leader in the Huichol Indian tradition. Living in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico, the Huichols are considered to be one of the last tribes in North America to have preserved their pre-Columbian traditions. Don José was a renowned Huichol Indian tribal elder and shaman who died at the age of 110. Brant’s rites of passage included capturing and releasing a wild rattle snake with his bare hands to face his fear of death and enduring a fourteen month fruit fast to enhance his sensitivity to the natural world.
Travels with Don José
Together, Brant and don José made pilgrimages to numerous holy sites throughout the Huichol Sierras, Europe, and the United States. For over two decades, they made the annual pilgrimage to the Huichol holy land, Wirikuta. This high desert region, according to Huichol cosmology, is the home of the mountain where the sun was born. Brant’s apprenticeship culminated in a village ceremony in 1978. During this ceremony, don José honored Brant with the gift of his ceremonial belt, which was given to don José by his teacher. He then publicly announced that Brant would take his place in the world and certified him as a Huichol shaman and lineage holder. Over the course of his apprenticeship, Brant Secunda became the close companion and adopted grandson of don José Matsuwa. The village members witnessed Brant’s transformation during his apprenticeship, beheld the mutual love and respect don José and Brant had for each other, developed a kinship with him, taught him their native language, and they saw that his intentions were pure and grew to trust him as their own. Before don José passed away he reminded Brant of his mission and told him, "I salute you. So, I want you to go on. I leave you in my place. Tell your people to celebrate life and follow the deer all the way to their hearts." When don José died, doña Josefa honored Brant with the gift of don José’s revered medicine bundle.
Shamanism Worldwide
Brant Secunda shares Huichol traditions with people worldwide and initiates projects to preserve Huichol culture. For over two decades, the Dance of the Deer Foundation has documented Huichol culture on film, video, and audiotape in an ongoing effort to archive the material in books and in a Huichol museum for future generations. With one video already completed and released, Brant plans to edit footage for a second video and to complete various CD's of Huichol folk music. Brant would also like to further develop an infrastructure within the Huichol villages to establish economic autonomy while producing the materials for their artwork. To complete this goal, the foundation would build a bead factory and employ proper training so that the Huichols can manage and operate the factory successfully.
