Paths of Life

Raramuri—the Tarahumara:
God's Saviours in the Sierra Madre

High in the rugged canyons of northwest Mexico, the Tarahumara live at the edge of two cultures. More than any other people in the Southwest, they have held on to many of their traditional lifeways. Since the arrival of early Spanish soldiers and priests, they have also adopted new ways—the tools, language, and religion of the outside Mexican culture.

The Easter ceremonies of the Tarahumara have become a symbol of this blending of cultures that scholars call "syncretism." At the urging of Jesuit priests, the people adopted the ceremonies and trappings of Christianity, re-enacting the events of Holy Week from Palm Sunday to the crucifixion. Yet their understanding of these events is based on their ancient beliefs.