Tarahumara

see also: Etymology of Tarahumara

Alive people in the area of the Barranca del Cobre (Ravines of Spanish Copper in ), in the north of the Mexico, in (State de Chihuahua), the Tarahumara , corruption of the Amerindian term Raramuri , by which these people indicate themselves. This would mean, according to certain ethnologists, like the Norwegian Carl Lumholtz, “those which have the light feet” in their language of the Uto-Aztecan family the historian Luis González advances also the similar etymology of “plant of the runner”. But these interpretations are discussed, when well even they are based on the reputation of Raramuri to be runners of proven funds. The term Raramuri designates only the men; the women are individually called muki and collectively igomele .

The length-distance running competitive tradition also has ceremonial and aspects. Often, the runners kick wooden balls ace they run. With widely dispersed settlements, thesis people developed has tradition off length-distance running for intervillage communication and transportation.

Originating in current the State de Chihuahua, Raramuri took refuge in the area of the Barranca del Cobre in the Western Sierra Veined at the time of the progression of the Spaniards to the XVIe century. The sector that they currently live is often named the “Tarahumara Sierra”. According to the estimates presented in 2006, Raramuri would be between 50.000 and 70.000. The majority always follow their traditional lifestyle, in a habitat of the type troglodytic or small houses out of wooden or stone. Cultivating corn and beans like basic food, number of Raramuri continue to raise bovine, goats and sheep and to practice the Transhumance. In one way or another, Raramuri remain seminomad .

Impresses philosophy and of Chamanisme, these people remain discrete by tradition. Raramuri organize between communities of the ritual demonstrations:

of the rites visionaries
of the plays of ball out of wooden (the rarahipa)
of the races in team of 60 km and more in the mountain.

Beliefs

Like all the chamanic religions, that of Raramuri is unaware of the concept of Péché. She however knows a fault, single: the lowering of its level of conscience, under the effect more and more dominating of the federal language, the Spanish , and of the defect of Amerindian crop protection.

External bond

Presentation (in English) of the language and the culture

See too

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