Written by Thomas B. Hinton

Northern Mexican Indian

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Alternate title: north Mexican Indian
Written by Thomas B. Hinton

Modern developments

The traditional Indian cultures of northern Mexico that emerged from the Spanish colonial world remained remarkably stable throughout the 19th century. Combinations of isolation, poverty, and conservatism resulted in what were essentially static societies. There were sporadically some uprisings, but it was not until the Mexican Revolution of 1911 and after that most Indian cultures were significantly affected by changes taking place elsewhere in Mexico. All these peoples took part in the revolutionary conflicts, and some disorganization took place everywhere. Thousands of individual Indians followed the armies, many never to return. The aftermath of the revolution marked the beginning of governmental concern with the Indians. The Instituto Nacional Indigenista was established and took upon itself the task of raising living standards and gradually integrating the Indians into the national life. Some groups benefitted significantly by the revolution and its results. Many Yaqui and Mayo escaped from hacienda peonage, and the Yaqui had a large portion of their ancestral lands restored to them.

It has been only since World War II that real changes have been taking place in the cultures themselves. There are multiple reasons for increased pressures from the outside world, but the primary cause is simply the development of modern transportation and a corresponding loss of centuries-long isolation. A major factor has been the construction of dams in the rivers flowing out of the Sierra Madre and the development of major irrigation projects and large modern cities on the coastal plain. There is now greater interest in the resources of the mountain hinterlands on the part of non-Indians, and there are opportunities for the mountain and desert peoples to engage in migrant farm labour.

Opening of the Mexican west coast highway brought major changes in the whole area. The desert lands of the Papago, the Sonoran seacoast of the Seri, and the thorn forests of the Yaqui and Mayo were penetrated by paved roads. A railroad across the Sierra Madre from the city of Chihuahua to Los Mochis on the Pacific bisects the Tarahumara country, and roads have made numerous villages of this tribe accessible to truck traffic. Truck roads are approaching even the gorges of the Cora and the Huichol. Many parts of the Sierra Madre previously accessible only by animals or by foot are served by local airlines that fly small planes hauling freight and passengers to most of the mountain communities. It is a common sight at the airport in Tepic, Nayarit, to see rural mestizos, Cora, and Huichol Indians waiting to board a plane for airstrips near their remote homes. Although there are still vast areas in these mountain regions not reached by modern transportation, the outside world has become more accessible, and all of these peoples have been affected to some extent.

Development of modern transportation has greatly increased the possibility that many Indian communities in time will cease to exist. There is growing competition for lands in all areas as non-Indian cattlemen, lumbermen, and farmers exploit these regions more intensely. Almost everywhere Indians find themselves being pushed or crowded out of ancestral lands by more sophisticated forces who have use for their resources. The Instituto Nacional Indigenista has come to the aid of some, such as the Tarahumara and Huichol, and given them legal assistance in securing land titles. In most areas, though, Indians, having no legal knowledge and lacking sophisticated leadership, are severely handicapped in dealing with these problems. Without a land base it is doubtful that communally oriented societies such as these can long survive.

The basic strength of the Indian groups in the late 20th century is found in their village organization and associated ceremonial structures that effectively preserve ethnic boundaries. Those retaining the strongest organized communities—the Tarahumara, Yaqui, Cora, and Huichol—while threatened, appear to be in no immediate danger of cultural disintegration. Others, few in number (such as the Pima) or lacking well preserved independent village structures (such as the Mayo), appear less likely to survive the impact of modernization.

Fear of alienation of lands and ultimate loss of ethnic identity has led to avoidance of innovations in many cases. Most still continue to resist social and religious change and avoid too close contact with non-Indians. There is, it is true, less reluctance to adopt material objects. The spread of modern communications media, even to the depths of the Sierra Madre, has resulted, among other things, in the increased learning of Spanish. The cast-iron corn mill is now used to grind masa (tortilla dough), saving hours of kneeling at a metate, or millstone, grinding by hand. Pedal sewing machines and metal containers are common. Nevertheless, most northern Mexican Indians express concern that their lifeways are dying. They fear that loss of community lands and the cultural seduction of their youth will mean that their days as separate peoples are indeed numbered.

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