Description
The Tarahumara, or self-called Rarámuri, are one of the largest indigenous tribes in North America with nearly 100,000 people. The majority are concentrated in the highlands of the Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico, while others choose to live in las barrancas – the gorges of the Sierra Madre. Despite their large number, the tribe managed to remain relatively uninfluenced by the surrounding Mexican culture until recently. This is primarily a result of the harsh landscape in which they live, and their general reluctance to embrace outsiders.
Language
Tarahumara language is a Mexican Indigenous language of the Uto-Aztecan language
Culture
The Tarahumara—who were forced from more-hospitable lands by Spanish settlers are nonetheless small-scale farmers, growing corn (maize), beans, squash, and potatoes and tending orchards. They also keep goats and cattle. Crops are grown in small pockets of suitable soil, and a household’s crops may be separated from one another by several miles. Settlements are scattered, usually loose clusters of households called ranchos. Each home consists of a one-room log or stone house and several storage huts. Settlements are not particularly stable, and a certain amount of seasonal mobility is usual. Pottery, blanket weaving, and basketry are the chief crafts practiced.