Some of the traditions and customs of the most outstanding Tarahumaras are arajipari, rowena, awilachi, owiruame, nutea or yumari.
The Tarahumaras are a native town of Mexico. Also known as rarámuris, which means light foot. They are settled in the Sierra Madre Occidental, which belongs to the state of Chihuahua.
Tarahumara girls
The Tarahumaras were a sedentary town that cultivated pumpkin, chili and cotton. Its economy was based on agriculture, hunting and gathering.
As for political organization, each Tarahumaras group had its own leader who guaranteed the proper functioning of the tribe and protection against neighboring tribes. The Tarahumaras were a bellicose group and were always immersed in fights with neighboring tribes.
In addition, the Tarahumaras were polytheists, which means that they believed in several gods. Among them they considered the sun, the moon, the doctor and the stones as benevolent; And among the malevolent to the lords of the underworld. They also thought that life existed after death.
Beginning in 1606, the Jesuit missionaries began their evangelization process with the indigenous tribes, and these peoples lost many of their ingrained customs.
Even so, many customs and traditions have survived to this day and are listed below.
With the arrival of the Jesuits to the lands of the Tarahumaras and the process of evangelization, many celebrations were catholic.
Their traditions were always related to the agricultural cycle, and then they were coupled to the Catholic calendar.
Many of their big celebrations are celebrated in Easter and in commemoration of the patron saint of each town.
Main customs and traditions of the Tarahumaras
Respect for tribal members
The Trahumaras are a town of ingrained customs. The most important aspects are that they believe that people are worth more than things and sharing is the basis of their society.
They believe that disrespect is one of the worst offenses and can lead to illness.
Diseases caused by disrespect will not be removed until the error has been amended.
Rarajipari
It is a very common game among the Tarahumaras; The most important collective act they carry out. It is a ball game that consists of kicking a ball and running barefoot behind it.
Sometimes they place bets with the opposing team marking a goal that can be up to 200 km away.
This game represents the reason for its existence that is the running. And from that comes its name of rarámuris, that means the one of the light feet.
Rowena
It is a game similar to Rarajipari, but this is done only by women playing with small interlocking rings.
Awilachi
This traditional festival takes place during Holy Week. The streets are filled with music and dancing for three days.
On the last day, some dancers are chosen to decorate their bodies, first completely in white, while they dance around a cross and greet the four cardinal points.
Afterwards, the body is decorated with ocher and black color in an intimate ceremony. Once the decoration is finished, these dancers continue dancing until the next day.
These dances are made to request the rains and that the planting can begin. To close the celebration, it ends with the patio parties. In this last ritual calls for the healing of sick people.
Owiruame
The owiruame is also the name with which the doctors are known. When an Owiruame dies, a special ceremony is held.
In this ceremony, another Owiruame burns the hair of the deceased and perform two celebrations known as nawezari.
In the first one is remembered the deceased person and the actions that he performed, in the second, celebrations are carried out that have to do with the spiritual plane of the deceased.
Sipáame Ceremony
Sipáame is another type of doctor who is distinguished from the previous one by having entered the circle of peyote.
Having entered the circle, his soul is tied to the earth, so another Sipama has to release it by feeding the family of the deceased a cactus, so that the soul of the deceased can ascend to heaven.
Nutea
It is another of the ceremonies that is carried out by the death of somebody of the tribe. The celebrations differ, being 3 days of celebration for the man and 4 for the women.
The celebration takes place in the house of the deceased and the whole tribe or town participates. Songs and dances are made, and the spirits are offered drink and food so that the souls of the dead can reach the sky
Yumari
This celebration celebrates the miracle of life. We thank the spirits who allow life on the earthly plane and offer them sacrifices of animals.
These animals are then cooked in large pots to feed the tribe. Dances and songs are also performed to celebrate the feast of life.
Baile Tutugúri
This dance is performed by the Tarahumaras to bring hope and thank blessings, as well as to ward off evil spells, avoid illness and suffering.
In times of harvest the dance Tutugúri dances throughout the night, and at dawn they eat the offerings made to the spirits of the previous day
Mitote
Another of the traditional celebrations of the Tarahumaras is the Mitote, celebrated three times a year. The first is in February, and health is requested for all members of the village.
The second takes place in May to bring the necessary rains for the crops. And the last is celebrated in October, where the first crops of corn, corn, and grapes are appreciated. These celebrations last 5 days, and are full of music and songs.
References
- BENNETT, Wendell Clark; ZINGG, Robert Mowry. The Tarahumara: An Indian tribe from northern Mexico . Instituto Nacional Indigenista, 1978.
- ARTAUD, Antonin. Mexico-Travel to the Country of the Tarahumaras (Mexico and Voyage to the Land of the Tarahumaras) . Fondo de Cultura Economica USA, 1984.
- MONTEMAYOR, Carlos. The Tarahumaras: village of stars and canyons . Banobras, 1995.
- PAINTED CURTAIN, Ana Paula, et al. Tarahumaras . 2004.
- PENNINGTON, C. The ball race among the Tarahumara of Mexico. A diffusion problem. Native American , 1970, vol. 30, no. 1, p. 15-40.
- BASAURI, Carlos. Monograph of the Tarahumaras . Graphic Workshops of the Nation, 1929.
- DÍAZ, Marta Tello. The devil himself robbed us of the role: two studies of education and cultural resistance between Mixe and Tarahumara . National Council for Culture and the Arts, Popular Cultures, 1994.