It is difficult to imagine. Merely a few hours from the USA border with Mexico, you will find an indigenous culture that has stubbornly resisted change. The Tarahumara Indians, or more appropriately, Raramuri, have for generations secluded themselves from the outside world, protected by the natural isolation of the Sierra Madre Occidental range, more identifiable as the Copper Canyon region of Chihuahua and Sinaloa.
The land is rugged. A 25,000 square mile, six canyon complex, four times greater than the Grand Canyon of the USA, through history a sanctuary to escape from pursuers, enemies and the law. In the case of the Raramuri, they made their way from the deserts hundreds of years ago. Cousins of the Aztecs, they sought protection from the aggressive Apache and the advances of Spanish conquests. By nature, they are a peaceful people. They found solitude in Sierra Madres. But of course, that is changing.
The Copper Canyon region only came to light to the outside world in the 1960s. With the completion of the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad (CHEPE). This opened the door to tourism and the movement of commerce. It was a 100-year project, plagued with financial crisis, disrupted by the Mexican Revolution of 1910-21, and stalled by the engineering challenges of carving tunnels and constructing bridges in the most remote mountains of Mexico. The train would also serve to introduce to the world, the Raramuri.
In long distance running circles, the Raramuri (which in their language means “runner”) are legendary athletes capable of bounding in, over and through the canyon lands with incredible endurance. Well documented in the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougal, the author delves into the ceremony of the run, physical characteristics of the runners and their legendary stamina. The competition, called a rarajipa, has teams of runners, pushing day and night, from one small village to the next, teeing a small wooden ball on the top of their foot and hurling in a relay to the next runner. They sustain themselves with gourds filled with a corn mush called pinole, slung on their shoulders. Footwear? Open sandals made from leather tangs and rubber tire treads reveal feet like leather from a lifetime of exposure.
The traditional Raramuri attire consists of bloused shirts for men (it was the Spanish who first forced clothes on the Indians; the blouse you see today is unchanged from 16th century European fashion) and wearing a simple loin cloth wrap. The women dress with colorful layers of petticoats. And of course, huarache sandals.
These quiet and reserved peoples do not live in large tribal groups, rather preferring to settle with small family groups, many of them still living in caves. With the change of seasons, they often migrate to higher elevations in the summer, descending closer into the depths of the canyons in winter. They grow their small garden crops, raise a few goats and are fond of a fermented corn brew called tesquino. Should you hear a pounding of the drums echoing through the canyon, it is likely an audible invitation to attend a tesquinada.
Like many indigenous groups, the isolation from the outside world once provided by the difficulty of penetrating the Sierra Madres, has over the past few decades been eroded. Large scale open pit mining, logging, (much of it illegal) and the influence of warring cartels conflicting over territories where crops of marijuana and opium flourish, have the Raramuri in a literal cultural crossfire. Sadly, these influences are having a negative effect on the population and their ability to retain their native values and traditions.
KaravanADV has an appreciation of the plight of the Raramuri. We value the privilege of being in what is the home of these remarkable peoples and promote a responsible approach to being in their space. It begins with an awareness of their customs and having sensitivity to their history. This is why we have a knowledgeable local specialist accompanying us on every tour and expedition we stage in the region.
The Copper Canyon is visually stunning. It will take your breath away. But if there is indeed a Treasure of the Sierra Madres, it is the inhabitants, the Raramuri, that make this corner of Mexico so rich and rewarding. We look forward to sharing this part of the world with you.
By Skip Mascorro
The author has traveled extensively in the Copper Canyon region since 1981.
Resources:
Born to Run, A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Ever Seen. by Christopher McDougal
