Cyndy García-Weyandt explains the central role of the drum in Wixárika initiation ceremonies. The drum’s sound, paired with the mara’kate’s chants, signals the presence of more-than-human beings and guides participants on a spiritual journey. Through this ceremony, children are introduced to ancestral knowledge and relationships with sacred beings before making physical pilgrimages. This experience—mediated by sound and community—serves as a foundational form of education, teaching how to live in a respectful, reciprocal relationship with the more-than-human world.