Corn is life itself
For the Ralámuli communities, corn has been central to their food since ancient times, as well as for their ceremonies and worldview.
By Secretaría de Cultura
Chihuahua Regional Unit—General Directorate of Popular, Indigenous and Urban Cultures
The origin of the corn breeds was the product of thousands of years of rural labor.
Barbecho cuiteco (2016) by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
El maíz es la vida misma 1 (2010) by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
Saludo a la cruz by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
The sovereignty of the Ralámuli people and corn.
The peoples exercise their sovereignty when there is enough food and they are organized according to territorial governance.
Matachines de Chinéachi by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
It is for this reason that in the communities with sufficient grain to eat, cultural resistance was favored compared to the imposition of other lifestyles in the indigenous territories of the Tarahumara mountains.
El maíz es la vida misma 7 (2012) by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
In farming, farmers created many varieties of seeds.
Milpa by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
At the same time, they developed knowledge, or applied science, in harmony with the environment, because when working in the cornfields the environment is not affected.
Rekusachi by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
Practiced from the reality of the field, rural science is as advanced as Western science.
El maíz es la vida misma 11 by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
Cocinando napíwilli, nixtamal, en Bacajípare (2016) by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
Food derived from corn.
Corn makes a great variety of dishes that nourish and maintain the health of the people who eat them.
Aprendiendo a hacer pinole (2016) by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
There is no other grain that has as many uses as corn. From there we can make pinole (drink), tortilla, tamales, chacales (dried corn), pozole (soup), esquíate (drink).
Moliendo maíz azul by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
El maíz es la vida misma 8 (2016) by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
Aurorita tostando (2016) by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
Pinole (drink) and gorditas (pancakes) are also used when one travels, stubble for animal feed and tesgüino (corn beer) to live together communally.
Rastrojo by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
Suguí o Tesgüino by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
El maíz es la vida misma 9 (2016) by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
Los pintos de Norogachi bailan Yúmali by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
Corn and the community
Traditions make us live the culture. If you do not live with traditions, culture disappears. Corn is one of the foods most closely linked to the tradition of sharing. Community participation has a great relationship with music, parties, dances and community work.
Tambor mogótabo by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
El maíz es la vida misma 13 by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
Traditions make us live the culture. If you do not live with traditions, culture disappears. Corn is one of the foods most closely linked to the tradition of sharing. Community participation has a great relationship with music, parties, dances and community work.
El maíz es la vida misma 4 (2012) by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
Velando el altar en Bacajípare (2016) by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
When there is corn, families can practice their religiosity and beliefs by carrying out yumari(tradition), which is the oldest and most original festival of the Ralámuli people.
El maíz es la vida misma 12 by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
Matachines de Tewerichi by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
Rituality and ceremonies are cultural practices that allow us to be close and linked to our gods, our spirits, close to our ancestors …
Bendición de aguaje (2016) by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
… it allows us to make good agricultural cycles, however rejected and mysterious it is for the realm of science, which always requires a strong explanation.
Ofrecimiento de sangre a Onorúame, Bacajípare by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
Corn communicates with the deities of our communities and with the spirits of our ancestors.
Pedro Turuséachi Sevorachi, "The deep meaning of corn for the Ralámuli people."
El maíz es la vida misma 2 (2012) by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
Challenges for the Ralámuli communities
The imposition of industrialized food, the climate crisis, the lack of public policies that promote traditional agriculture and drug trafficking have led to very serious problems in producing food, thereby generating changes in traditional eating habits that jeopardize the culture and survival of indigenous peoples.
Luis Parra bendice su semilla by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
For these reasons, the defense of corn and what it represents for the indigenous peoples is made compulsory.
Siembra en Basigochito (2016) by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
Faith and hope will protect us on this difficult path. Perhaps we will succeed in the midst of the agony of Mother Earth. A mother never leaves her children alone, she always protects them, and as children we now get up to protect our mother. That is my great longing for the future of my generations.
Panorámica Turuseachi by David LauerSecretaría de Cultura
"The country of the Tarahumaras is loaded with signs.
There is no doubt that there are places on earth where nature moved by a kind of intelligent impulse has sculpted human forms.
But here the case is different: because it is above all thegeographical spread of a racewhere nature has wanted to speak."
- Antonin Artaud, Trip to the country of the Tarahumara (p 273)
Semblanza de David Lauer
Su obra fotográfica se ha editado en varios libros sobre el estado de Chihuahua, como: Luces y voces del desierto chihuahuense, Chihuahua: Imágenes para un encuentro, y en publicaciones nacionales como 160 años de fotografía en México y la revista Luna Córnea. Durante 11 años, documentó el trabajo de la Consultoría Técnica Comunitaria en comunidades indígenas de la Sierra Tarahumara, y en 2006 produjo la exposición.
Buscando equilibrio, sobre las comunidades forestales y su lucha en defensa del bosque. Desde hace 17 años su trabajo fotográfico ha acompañado al movimiento nacional en defensa del maíz nativo con exposiciones itinerantes como:
“Pueblos de maíz”(2004), “Alimento y espiritualidad”(2008), “El maíz es la raíz”(2009), “Oda al maíz”(2013), “La agricultura, pilar de la gastronomía”(2015), y “Banquete visual del maíz”(2017) y ahora va a participar en el nuevo proyecto de un museo dedicado exclusivamente al maíz nativo mexicano en CDMX, llamado Cencalli.
Semblanza de Pedro Turuséachi (1974-2020)
Como los ralámuli, Pedro Turuséachi fue un hombre de varios oficios y habilidades, adquiridas por la experiencia: agricultor, albañil, maestro, músico, danzante, hierbero, conocedor de su cultura y de la historia de su pueblo.
Como agricultor demostró que aun en las condiciones climatológicas más extremas de la Tarahumara, con el trabajo y una estrategia clara de mejoramiento de suelos, selección de semillas y control de plagas, se puede cosechar cada año maíz, frijol y otras leguminosas para dar de comer a la familia y compartir el excedente con la comunidad. Q.E.P.D.
Unidad Regional Chihuahua – Dirección General de Culturas Populares, Indígenas y Urbanas
Source: The deep meaning of the corn of the Ralámuli people José Pedro Turuséachi Sevorachi Ralámuli / State Commission for Indigenous Peoples From the book: Maices de vida by David Lauer.
Photography: David Lauer
