10 TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS OF THE TARAHUMARA - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Some of the most outstanding traditions and customs of the Tarahumara are the arajipari, rowena, awilachi, owiruame, nutea or yumari. The Tarahumara are a native people of Mexico. Also known as rarámuris, which means that of light feet. They are settled in the Sierra Madre Occidental, which belongs to the state of Chihuahua.

The Tarahumara were a sedentary people who grew squash, chili, and cotton. Its economy was based on agriculture, hunting and gathering. Regarding the political organization, each group of Tarahumara had its own leader who guaranteed the proper functioning of the tribe and protection against neighboring tribes.

Tarahumara girls

The Tarahumara were a warlike group and were always involved in fights with neighboring tribes. Furthermore, the Tarahumara were polytheists, which means that they believed in various gods. Among themselves they regarded the sun, the moon, the doctor, and the stones as benevolent; and among the malevolent the lords of the underworld. They also thought that there was life after death.

Starting in 1606, the Jesuit missionaries began their process of evangelization with the indigenous tribes, and these peoples were losing many of their ingrained customs. Even so, many customs and traditions have endured to this day and are listed below.

With the arrival of the Jesuits to the lands of the Tarahumara and the process of evangelization, many festivals became Catholic. Their traditions were always related to the agricultural cycle, and later they were coupled with the Catholic calendar.

Many of its large festivals are held at Easter and in commemoration of the patron saint of each town.

Main customs and traditions of the Tarahumara

Respect for members of the tribe

The Trahumaras are a people with deep-rooted customs. The aspects that stand out the most 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 that it can cause illness.

Illnesses caused by disrespect will not be removed until the error has been corrected.

Rarajipari

It is a very common game among the Tarahumara; 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 setting a goal that can be up to 200 km away.

This game represents the reason for its existence which is running. And that's where its name comes from rarámuris, which means that of light feet.

Rowena

It is a game similar to Rarajipari, but this is only played 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, dancers are chosen to decorate their bodies, first completely in white, while they dance around a cross and greet the four cardinal points.

Afterwards, their bodies are decorated with ocher and black in an intimate ceremony. Once the decoration is finished, these dancers continue dancing until the next day.

These dances are done to ask for the rains so that the sowing can begin. To close the celebration, the patio parties end. In this last ritual the cure of sick people is requested.

Owiruame

Owiruame is also the name by which doctors are known. When an Owiruame dies, a special ceremony is held.

In this ceremony, another Owiruame burns the hair of the deceased and they perform two celebrations known as nawezari.

In the first, the deceased person and the actions they performed are remembered, in the second, celebrations are held that have to do with the spiritual plane of the deceased.

Sipáame ceremony

The Sipáame is another type of doctor that is distinguished from the previous one by having entered the peyote circle.

Having entered the circle, his soul is tied to the earthly land, so another Sipáame has to free it by feeding the family of the deceased a cactus, so that the soul of the deceased can go up to heaven.

Nutea

It is another of the ceremonies that is performed for the death of someone from the tribe. The celebrations differ, with 3 holidays for men and 4 for women.

The celebration takes place in the home of the deceased and the entire tribe or town participates. Songs and dances are made, and food and drink are offered to the spirits so that the souls of the deceased can reach heaven.

Yumari

In this celebration the miracle of life is celebrated. The spirits are thanked for allowing life on the earthly plane and animal sacrifices are offered.

These animals are then cooked in large pots to feed the tribe. Dances and songs are also performed to celebrate the festival of life.

Tutugúri dance

This dance is performed by the Tarahumara to bring hope and give thanks for blessings, as well as to ward off evils, avoid disease and suffering.

In harvest times the Tutugúri dance is danced throughout the night, and at dawn the offerings made to the spirits of the previous day are eaten

Mitote

Another of the traditional celebrations of the Tarahumara is the Mitote, it is celebrated three times a year. The first is held in February, and health is requested for all members of the town.

The second is carried out in May so that the necessary rains for the crops arrive. And the last one is celebrated in October, where the first harvests of corn and corn appear, and good harvests are appreciated. These celebrations last 5 days, and are full of music and songs.

References

1. BENNETT, Wendell Clark; ZINGG, Robert Mowry. The Tarahumara: An Indian tribe from northern Mexico. National Indigenous Institute, 1978.
2. ARTAUD, Antonin. Mexico-Viaje Al Pais de Los Tarahumaras (Mexico and Voyage to the Land of the Tarahumaras). Economic Culture Fund USA, 1984.
3. MONTEMAYOR, Carlos. The Tarahumara: people of stars and ravines. Banobras, 1995.
4. PINTADO CORTINA, Ana Paula, et al. Tarahumara. 2004.
5. PENNINGTON, C. The ball race among the Tarahumara of Mexico. A diffusion problem. Indigenous America, 1970, vol. 30, no 1, p. 15-40.
6. BASAURI, Carlos. Monograph of the Tarahumara. Graphic Workshops of the Nation, 1929.
7. DÍAZ, Marta Tello. The devil himself stole our paper: two studies of education and cultural resistance between Mixes and Tarahumara. National Council for Culture and the Arts, Popular Cultures, 1994.