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Tarahumara Indian Crafts For Southwest Decor & Lighting |
By:
Craig Chambers, Mission Del Rey |
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We hope that you enjoy the treasures of the Sierra Madre as much
as we do. We operate the Mission Del Rey among the Tarahumara
Indians. The Tarahumara are a proud people that have endured
many hardships. They lead very rough and often difficult lives.
They are teetering between their traditional lifestyle and
assimilation into the Mexican culture. Unfortunately, they are
somewhat stuck between the two and often live hand to mouth.
Hunger and exposure are too well known among the people. By
being able to continue their traditional crafts, they preserve
their cultural roots and their dignity as they work to provide
for their families.
The Tarahumara or Rarámuri, as they call themselves, inhabit the
Copper Canyon, as it is known in the U.S., or the Sierra
Tarahumara in northwest Mexico. The actual name Tarahumara was
what the first Spanish called these Native American people. The
Spanish originally encountered the Tarahumara throughout
Chihuahua upon arrival in the 1500's, but as the Spanish
encroached on their civilization the shy and private Tarahumara
retreated for the nearly inaccessible canyons of the Sierra
Tarahumara. Only the Jesuit missionaries followed at first and
with only scattered success.
After mineral wealth was discovered in the mountains, many areas
where Tarahumara Indians lived became desirable lands to the
miners & mining companies forced the Tarahumara once again to
head farther into the remote canyons. Today, the Tarahumara are
Mexico's second largest native Indian group with between 50,000
& 70,000 people. Today the Tarahumara live in caves, under
cliffs and in small wood and stone cabins in remote areas. They
live a simple life undisturbed by modern technologies. They are
known as a quiet and considerate people who are expert farmers
and runners. Rarámuri has been translated to mean "runners" in
their native language. Due to severe drought in northern Mexico,
the Tarahumara have suffered famine in the past few years.
Corn is the main staple along with beans. Potatoes, and apples
can also be found. Some Tarahumara raise domesticated animals
such as goats and cattle. Fish, small game & herbs (a Tarahumara
specialty) round out their diet. Traditional clothing for the
Tarahumara consists of a white cloth shirt, sometimes with
colorful prints, white cloth pants or wraparounds with colorful
belts or accessories. Headbands of cloth usually red are worn
upon the head. Sandals or huaraches are the footwear of choice.
Running is what the Tarahumara may be most legendary for in the
world. Various organizations have entered Tarahumara runners
into events such as the "Leadville 100-Mile" in Colorado. The
runners have surprised many by running in their tire-soled
sandals and winning some of these long distance races. Running
or "foot throwing" has always been a tradition and necessity of
the Tarahumara. It is their only mode of transportation and many
of the small communities are far apart. They also have their own
events, and this is were "foot throwing" comes into effect. It
is a competition known as Rarjíparo and consists of a small
wooden ball which is "thrown by the foot" by teams in a race to
finish before the other teams. The races can last days. The
Tarahumara are very religious. Two larger events are Semana
Santa (Easter Week) and the Fiesta Guadalupana in December.
These religious rites are a mixture of Christian and Tarahumara
beliefs.
Tarahumara Drums and Violins Musical instruments such as
drums and violins are made frequently for use in ceremonies.
Drums are made from pieces of goatskin stretched over a wooden
frame. They are used extensively during the Holy Week or Semana
Santa festivities before Easter. As drums are considered
ceremonial items, they can be difficult to find during much of
the year. The drums are brightly decorated by hand using crushed
iron oxide. Then, as the ceremonies are beginning, they beat the
drums as a call to gather the people. During the festivals the
sound of the drums can be heard drifting throught the mountain
villages for miles.
Violins were first introduced to the Tarahumara Indians by the
Spanish and have come to play an important role in Tarahumara
music and celebrations. The violins are all carved by hand, a
painstaking process. Recently, these precious works of art have
been produced with an intricately carved animal figure on the
scroll of the instrument. The primitive violins are played as
the dancers, men (Matachines) dressed in brightly colored
costumes do the traditional dance day and night for several
days.
Wood Dough Bowls & Carving Tarahumara men love to work
with wood and have learned to fashion amazingly detailed items
with what might seem to be very crude working tools. Wooden
spoons, bowls, and figurines are all items which are commonly
carved. Their well known dough bowls, carved by hand from native
yellow pine begin as a piece of a downed tree trunk. The trunk
is split in half lengthwise then carved with an axe to form the
shape of the bowl, and further worked with a machete or large
knife. This traditional style dough bowl has been used
throughout the Sierra Madre for generations. Corn and wheat are
ground by hand by crushing the kernels between a smooth stone
and a tapered stone trough called a metate. The dough bowl is
places at the lower end of the trough to catch the corn or wheat
flour as it is ground. Water is then added to the flour in the
bowl and hand-made tortillas are not far behind. The beauty of
these rustic dough bowls is enhanced by the natural
irregularities of the wood. Their character is as rich as their
heritage.
Basketry Baskets serve many functions in a traditional
Tarahumara household. A basket may be used to store corn, beans
or a number of other things. As the floors of most Tarahumara
homes are dirt, baskets help keep personal items organized and
clean. There are generally two types of baskets; The first and
most common being of yucca or sotol. These are used constantly
in everyday life. The second type of basket is fashioned from
pine needles and is most common in the higher elevations where
pine trees are prevalent. These baskets are quite small and
delicate. The yucca baskets are made in a variety of sizes and
shapes. In the mountain country, the guari type is most commonly
found. These baskets are usually a singl weave and are round at
the top and somewhat square, with four distinct corners, at the
bottom. The petaca is traditional to the canyon regions. It is
round with a lid and frequently double woven. As the baskets can
be quite bulky, the guari in particular, are often made in
graduating sizes so they may be nested. The baskets are all made
by twill plaiting, which results in a diagonal design. The
basketmaker uses only her hands and teeth to fashion the basket,
although the leaves are sometimes run across a stone to dull
their sharp edges before they are worked.
Pottery Tarahumara pots or ollas are used for a variety
of cooking purposes. An olla may be used to cook beans, boil
corn with lime for making tortillas, roasting corn for pinole,
and in the larger pots, for making the Tarahumara traditional
corn beer, tesguino. Slightly different sizes and shapes define
the use of a particular pot. Tarahumara pottery, as with
virtually everything they make, is simple and functional. The
first step in pottery making is to gather the clay. This may
require a trip of several miles. Once the clay has been
obtained, it is ground on a stone metate and mixed with pottery
shards that have also been ground on the metate. Water is then
added to this mixture and it is kneaded until the right
consistency is achieved. Then it is time to begin forming the
piece. The base is formed first and the sides are built up using
coils of clay. The olla is always shaped by hand, although a
piece of gourd may be used to smooth and scrape away roughness.
After drying in the sun, a hot fire is made in a shallow pit and
the pot is fired. When a pot is decorated, the paint is obtained
from red ochre, iron oxide or hematite and applied with the
fingers or by means of a feather or cloth-wrapped stick.
Weaving When the Spanish arrived in the Sierra
Tarahumara in the early 1600's, with the introduction of sheep,
the Tarahumara begun weaving clothing and blankets of wool by
1625. Blankets are made from homespun yarn, usually in the
natural colors of dark brown and white. These blankets serve the
very useful purpose of keeping people warm during the frigid
winter months. They are woven in a most ingenious open weave so
that the air spaces provide additional insulation. A broad
horizontal loom is used for weaving. It is usually set low to
the ground in the shade if possible. The weaver sits at the end
to work. The finished product may take months to complete.
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Article Source: http://www.PopularArticles.com/article913.html |
Article: Tarahumara Indian Crafts for Southwest Decor & Lighting
Author: Craig Chambers, Mission Del Rey
Total Views: 61
Word Count: 1359
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