Paths of Life

Raramuri—the Tarahamura:
God's Saviours in the Sierra Madre (continued)

The Tarahumara see themselves as God's children, while non- Indians are the offspring of God's brother, the Devil. Normally, the brothers' powers are in balance as they watch over their children on this earth.

But at Easter, God's powers are weakened. If the Tarahumara do not perform the Norirawachi ceremony to give him strength, the Devil will take over the world. The elaborate ceremonies are a weeklong celebration filled with dance, music, and colorful costumes patterned after those found in Spanish villages.

For the Tarahumara, an important part of the Easter ceremonies is the closing round of tesguinadas. These traditional social gatherings center on the drinking of tesguino, a homemade corn beer. In the Tarahumara world of isolated villages scattered through mountain canyons, the tesquinadas are a vital link in the social network that unites the people.

The Easter ceremony, with its blending of costume, ritual, and ideas from both cultures, is just one example of how cultures in contact are always changing.