Darkness comes quickly to the rugged canyon lands of the Sierra Madre where stars twinkle exuberantly against the blackness of a night sky unencumbered by ambient light. As the moon makes her journey across the heavens, the sounds of distant drumbeats race across the high sierras echoing their message throughout the canyons. This is Tarahumara-land where drumbeats tell of dancing and the dance is a Tarahumara prayer. In recent years, most of their prayers have been for rain but the Raramuri (also known as the Tarahumara), who have preserved their culture better than other native American groups, also dance to give thanks for their blessings.

Echinocereus triglochidiatus

Sharing a common ancestry with the fierce Aztecs who settled further to the south, the Raramuri are a gentle, reticent people who occupied the fertile valleys of the Papigochi and Conchos Rivers as well as the plains of Central Chihuahua. They grew mainly maize, beans and squash utilizing irrigation canals that were noted by early Jesuit missionaries. They are particularly knowledgeable about more than 250 different varieties of edible and herbal plants that they use for food and medicines. The Raramuri are remarkable for their longevity and stamina as long distance runners with the ability to chase game, sometimes for days, until the animals collapse from exhaustion.

The discovery of precious metals in the region early in the 17^th century brought Spanish miners and settlers who enslaved the Raramuri to work the mines and fields and to transport their goods across terrain that was too rough even for horses. To escape the forced labor, the Raramuri retreated deeper into the remote sierra and canyon country now known as the Sierra Tarahumara. Here, they live in small, scattered communities. Their ranchos or communal farms are usually found along wide sections of rivers and streams but can sometimes be seen perched on the slope of a precipitous cliff. Deprived of their productive lands, the Raramuri keep herds of sheep, goats and cattle mainly to produce the manure needed to farm the shallow soils of the barrancas as well as for food. Their homes are simple huts but some of the more reclusive Raramuri still live in caves, migrating to the barrancas (bottom of the canyons) in winter and to the sierras (plateau and mountain areas) in the summer.

Mother and Child

Harmony with their environment and with each other is the basis of Raramuri culture. The system of korima assures the less fortunate of help in times of need. One aspect of this is their social gatherings where food and tesguino (maize beer) are served. Those who are able will provide a feast in exchange for community help with projects such as the construction of a cornhouse. These gatherings provide the opportunity for a nutritive meal in an honorable exchange. Many social commentaries focus on the alcoholism and ill-health of the Raramuri today but overlook their decreasing ability to adequately feed themselves. This is due to the continuing loss of their land as well as soil erosion and water pollution wrought by mining and logging interests. The more reclusive Raramuri who are able to maintain their traditional way of life remain as healthy and robust as they were described by Carl Lumholtz a century ago.

Prior to the Raramuri, the Paquime civilization dominated the northern portion of these remote canyon lands. They were farmers and traders who established themselves strategically at the juncture of the rivers that flow to the Gulf of California and the River Conchos that joins the Rio Bravo del Norte (also known as the Rio Grande) to empty into the Gulf of Mexico thus controlling the ancient trade route linking the eastern and western shores of Mexico. The main archaeological site located near Casas Grande is the great city of Paquime whose construction began around 1200 and reached its prominence as a trade and ceremonial center in the 14^th century when it was destroyed and abandoned. Other remnants of the Paquime civilization include adobe cave structures that are estimated to be about 800 to 1000 years old. They may have served as guard posts to maintain and protect these old trade routes and some can still be seen in the cliffs overlooking the Huapoca Canyon.

Two Levels of Track Temoris Station

Although the early Spanish missionaries and miners used these old routes to penetrate and extract the mineral wealth of this harsh landscape, it was not until the 20^th century with the construction of the Chihuahua Pacific Railway that they were effectively revitalized for trade and tourism. The 588 mile (941 km) railway begins at Ojinaga where the Rio Conchos meets the Rio Bravo del Norte and ends at the west coast port town of Topolobampa. Construction of the railway began in 1898 and was completed in 1961. It represents one of the major engineering feats in Mexico and in the entire world boasting 99 tunnels, 39 bridges and numerous switchbacks that drop over 7000 feet from the sierras to the coastal plain in only 122 miles. One of the most dramatic sections of the railway is the approach to the Temoris station where three levels of track hug the mountainside while the most spectacular view is undoubtedly the lookout at Divisadero. Here, the Urique, Copper and Tararecua Canyons flaunt their breathtaking beauty.

Although the 'Barranca del Cobre' is a canyon along one section of the Urique River, the name has come to be associated with the entire canyon system of the Sierra Tarahumara that comprises more than 20 canyons of which 5 are longer and deeper than the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA. Millions of years ago, tertiary volcanoes deposited their ash to form massive plateaus from the mountains of the region. Later volcanic activity created gaping cracks that were eroded by rain and subterranean water resulting in a wild, divided land that is among the most rugged in North America. Within this extensive canyon system, rivers are rendered unnavigable by great boulder fields and some of the highest waterfalls in the world.

Mile deep canyons have starkly different environments on the sierras and inside the barrancas. On the high plateaus and canyon rims with altitudes over 8000 ft. (2400 m), the climate is temperate (cold winters, mild summers) with heavy summer rains. Beautiful, fragrant, coniferous forests of pine and Douglas fir cover these highlands where the black bear, puma, Mexican wolf and mountain lion live in the more remote regions. These animals are rarely seen and are threatened with extinction in the Sierra Tarahumara. Summer rains herald verdant mesa tops that are gaily colored with wildflowers from the end of September to October. At lower levels, 6000 to 8000 ft. (1800-2400m), other species of pines, junipers, and numerous oaks occupy the expansive forests while shade- tolerant Madrona trees grow in their understory presenting a striking contrast with their smooth, red-colored bark. Around Basaseachi and Madera, alders and poplars add blazing color to the forests in the fall. These woodlands give way to brushwood and scrubby trees on canyon slopes below the rim between 4000 to 6000 ft. (1200-1800m). Many have adapted to arid conditions by dropping their leaves during long, dry spells. At the bottom of the canyons, tropical conditions prevail and where water is available, huge fig and ceiba trees can be found as well as a variety of

El Divisadero

grasses, reeds and palms. Jaguar, jaguarundi and ocelots favor this warm environment but they, too, are infrequently sighted. Badgers, otters, skunks and squirrels are plentiful and birds are well represented with 290 species of which 24 are endemic. Among the more unusual are the impressive green, red and blue parrot (Ara militaris), the mountain cockatoo (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha) and the coa (Euptilotis noxenus), all of which are threatened.

The early explorers of Mexico were commissioned to explore and secure new lands for the Spanish Crown. Lured by tales of great wealth, they combed the country of its treasures by plundering native tribes and locating almost all of the precious metals that had cropped out of the ground. Expeditions were organized and new settlements established at the expense of the explorer who hoped to recoup his investment by finding new mines or capturing fertile lands. Soldiers were recruited with the promise of encomiendas which were grants for the employment of native people who were supposed to have been paid for their services, protected and 'civilized' by conversion to the True Faith. Missionary priests accompanied the expeditions for this purpose.

Large silver deposits were found to the north of Mexico City in Zacatecas in 1540 encouraging further exploration of the northern territories. Francisco de Ibarra and members of his expedition to Paquime in 1565 were probably the first Europeans to penetrate the Sierra Tarahumara. Later, Gaspar Osorio reached Chinipas (southwestern region of the Sierra Tarahumara) in 1589 and by 1590, silver had been discovered in the canyon lands. Prospectors arrived along with priests who established several missions. Under the guidance of the Padres, mission churches, schools and other buildings were constructed but some of the early 17^th century structures were razed when the Tarahumara and other tribes revolted against their enslavement and the devastating effects of European diseases that greatly reduced their numbers.

Gorditas El Divisadero

The main road that connected Mexico City, the southern seat of power for the Spanish Empire, to its northern outposts became known as the legendary El Camino Real. This 1200 mile (1935 km) road passed through Zacatecas, Durango, Chihuahua and El Paso del Norte to reach Santa Fe in New Mexico. It was not a fixed route but a series of routes that changed as circumstances warranted. Weather conditions, hostile tribes and new or abandoned settlements all determined the specific route taken. Travel along the portion of El Camino Real that passed through the Sierra Tarahumara was relatively difficult due to the formidable terrain and the ferocity of neighboring tribes. Many of these legendary trails remain and today, the Sierra Tarahumara offers some of the best opportunities in North America for hiking and authentic backcountry exploration. Other than those places now accessed by roads, travel through the Sierra Tarahumara is much the same as it was for the early explorers 400 years ago.

Specific information about the major canyon systems of the Sierra Tarahumara is outside the scope of this page but will be added over time. The main canyons are: