Natives of the Sierra Tarahumara
CANYON COUNTRY
The Copper Canyon area of Mexico's Sierra Madre is a large plateau of volcanic tuff deeply cut by rivers. This area at the junction of the states of Chihuahua, Sonora, and Sinaloa encompasses over 2500 square miles. The tuff, primarily composed of andesite and rhyolite, is up to 8000 feet thick. Relatively young by geologic standards it offers suitable conditions for canyon walls steeper and deeper than the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Deep fissures filled with rich intrusions of valuable minerals have been known and exploited for centuries, but for the hiker, it is the numerous hot springs that bring unexpected delight at the end of a grueling day.
PAPAGOCHI VALLEY
The Tarahumaran Indians began to migrate here from the fertile Papagochi Valley of Chihuahua about 400 years ago. As Spanish efforts to find slave labor for their silver mining operations increased, the Indians adapted to these inaccessible canyons. Outfitted with newly introduced axes and violins and goats, and a smattering of a new religion brought by the Jesuits, they began to inhabit the numerous overhangs and caves in a vast network of rivers and tributaries. Today the Papagochi plains are the apple basket of Mexico. Anyone arriving in the Sierras from the east will notice hectares (one hectare equals 2.5 acres) of orchards. Thousands of tall, slim poles flank their perimeter holding nets that are pulled over the trees in case of bad weather. Although susceptible to snow, this region is regularly hit by fierce hail storms during the summer monsoons. Enumerable smudge pots burn on cold nights to protect the fruit from the relentless winds on the high, almost treeless plains.
MENNONITES
Cuauhtemoc, an hour west of Chihuahua, is the unofficial capital of the Mennonite community. A statue at the western edge of town features a farmer wearing his signature bib overalls standing beside a thigh high milk can holding aloft a sheath of grain. Following the Mexican Revolution that ended in 1920, President Alvaro Obregon invited the Mennonites from Canada. The Canadian government had reneged on its promise not to require military service of the followers of Menno Simons (1496-1561) of Friesland, now in the Netherlands. These Anababtists generally attain only a sixth grade education in an effort to limit the influence of the outside world and foster spiritual communities that live close to the soil. They maintain their genetic integrity by marrying within the community. Many people do a double-take when they see blonde blue eyes kids on the streets of Cuauhtemoc. They still speak low German, but the men especially speak Spanish for commerce. The Mennonites embrace technology but eschew adornments. Their products are known for their quality and sought throughout Mexico. Especially famous is Mennonite cheese. They also make peanut butter and chocolate. Mennonite families live in Campos and produce goods similar to a guild society. Campos lining the highway have specialties such as double-pane windows, solar hot water heaters, woodstoves, or swingsets. While in the area, don't miss a chance to try Jugo Mennonita, an indescribable cocktail of cabbage, garlic, and prickly pear cactus...it's more like a tonic, than a juice. I hope to get enough gumption to try it one of these days!
JESUITS AND ADELANTADOS
Silver was first mined in Mexico at Taxco in 1522. Mining in Batopilas began in 1632 (See Mineralogical Record, V17, #1, pp 61-80; Jan-Feb 1986) after advance guards discovered gleaming silver in the banks of the river. At one point the population of this sleepy town was over 5000. Meanwhile, the Jesuits slowly worked their way up the west coast of Mexico. They settled on the rivers among the natives, and began by learning their languages and teaching them agricultural improvements. They encouraged reducciones, a process whereby the natives were concentrated in a location to donate labor to build a church. Mine owners recognized the availability of a defenseless and pliable population and sought to enslave the Indians. Families were treated harshly and separated from one another. The Jesuits were recalled to Spain in 1767. The Spanish Crown feared they were getting too rich and powerful. Not all the Indians were Christians when they left. As they left the plains for the canyons, the religion morphed into an amalgamation of paganism, animism, and Christianity. Today their Easter celebrations are a big draw for foreigners and Mexicans alike.
MINING AND LUMBER
At an elevation of over 8000 feet, the spine of the Sierra Madre is clad in a mantle of conifers. Lower down, the slopes of the Apachean Madrean woodland are home to over 100 species of oak. On our hikes it is easy to differentiate 4 or 5 kinds of scrub oak by their leaf size alone. Some have manzanita size leaves while others have the Nature Conservancy logo type leaves. Although the area is steep, it has been heavily harvested twice for lumber. It was clearcut where feasible. Luckily, due to the nature of the terrain and the lack of financial resources, most of it was selectively cut. Only the largest and tallest tress were felled. This allowed the forest optimal conditions to grow. Also without "firewood gathering" restrictions, the forest floor is practically clear of downfall. The area is honeycombed with logging roads. Many of these haven't been used in 50 years and make for great hiking trails or singletrack biking. Sawmills abound in the area. Some have moved on and left only mountains of sawdust. Illegal sawmills are also a problem but in an area suffering from unemployment, the locals are happy for any work.
Recently several new mines have opened, and old mines are being reworked. The techniques haven't changed much, but he higher price of gold has made the ore extraction more economically feasible. Heap leach mining is the preferred method. Unfortunately it uses cyanide and mercury to remove gold. The used chemicals percolate into the soil or wash into the watershed during monsoons. There again, it brings lots of work for low wages, and introduces a plethora of ailments.
RELIGION, HEALTH, and EDUCATION
The Tarahumara suffer high infant mortality. They aren't well integrated into the cash economy, and hospitals are far away. In the rancherias that have a church, there is usually a visiting doctor and a preacher. The doctor dispenses medication for ailments, but there is usually only enough for a few days. Even a regimen of antibiotics can't be completed. Medical care is free, but you get what you pay for. Prenatal care, postnatal care, general hygiene, dental education, nutritional information are all lacking. Coca Cola makes fast inroads but toothbrushes and toothpaste don't. Cookies are fortified with vitamins and minerals, but processed foods are taking a toll on their general health. The preacher visits about as often as the doctor. He offers baptisms, and records births, deaths, and marriages. Many Indians still rely on the medicine man or curandero, but tuberculosis and other respiratory ailments can't be cured by faith. The women still cook with fires, and they usually have a baby in the rebozo on their back. The particulate matter they breathe is bad for the healthy, but detrimental for the very young and very old. The good thing about their poorly insulated houses is that they are well ventilated. They use their houses mainly to store belongings that they want to keep away from their goats.
TOURISM
Tourism is a mixed blessing. It offer the Indians a way to make a living without changing their lifestyle. But by bringing outside ideas and cash into a traditionally corn based economy, their lifestyle is changing. The men have acculturated to a much higher degree than the women. The men have adopted pants and western style shirts instead of their pleated white muslin blouses. They wear boots instead of the traditional huaraches, and belts instead of the woven mohuaca. The woven pattern of the mohuaca indicates the wearers village or region. It is getting more difficult to find traditionally dressed men, but some still wear traditional clothing for the fiestas, and luckily the traditional loincloth is more comfortable than pants in the deep, hot canyons. Many Tarahumarans leave for towns like Cuauhtemoc to find seasonal jobs like picking apples.
Escorted Hikes and Burro Expeditions in Mexico's Copper Canyon