Corn harvests in the Purépecha mountains (Part II)

Harvesting corn in the Purépecha communities involves the participation of the people, whether in the collection of the cobs, in the feeding of the workers, the sale of products or in other tasks. Let's see what other elements are part of this process.

At the end of the meal time, the workers are given a dessert of cooked chayote, a piece of sweetened pumpkin or chilacayote (figleaf gourd) or a preserves of tejocote (Mexican hawthorn) in corn leaves, as well as fruits such as oranges, limes, guavas and peanuts.

By then, fatigue had already diminished the physical state of the workers. Then they finish their day around four o'clock in the afternoon. In the process, they have the right to set aside four large cobs for them, so at the end of the day they usually put together a large amount, with the approval of the owners of the lands.

During the harvests, different members of the community also gather together, such as the trash collectors, women of meagre resources who usually collect the cobs that the workers leave on the road, or the muleteers, who carry the corn to the house of the landowner on their horses, mules or donkeys.

We also find the cuari or guard, who takes care of the crops from July, when the cobs start to sprout. He is economically compensated and given one or two furrows so that the cobs that grow there are his own.

When the day is over, the laborers line up to receive their payment in cash or corn, depending on the agreement. In addition, the owner of the land gives them a certain portion of ears and thanks them for having harvested with these words: “Thank you very much, you helped me. Here you have for your nixtamal ”.

If at the end of the day, the entire piece of land has not been harvested, a sign is left on the ground called "cut", indicating where to continue. The guard is in charge of closely monitoring that section to prevent pickers and other people from stealing the corn cobs.

The corn harvests are real festivals and days in the field in the villages of the Purépecha mountains. The landowners and their neighbors exchange meals or stews as a sign of community and village identity. The person who carries the stew, says the words: "Here may they be sent a ‘little bite'" and those who receive them respond "Wait, also take them what we made to eat and tell them thank you very much,"

Having the lofts of the granaries filled with corn is a taste and satisfaction, since with that ingredient, the housewives will be able to make tortillas every day, prepare a pozole (soup), nacatamales (tamales with red chili and pork or beef), corundas (corn tamales), breads or a white atole (drink).

On the last day of harvest, rockets are fired and all the participants thank each other: the owner of the land to the peons and vice versa, and to the comideras for their positive participation. The joy is present and is endorsed with a toast of the traditional charanda. All this exhilaration is called "combat."

People say goodbye to the harvested land and speak to Mother Earth with these words: "I hope that by next year, God will give me a license to live and keep producing the corn that we so much want and need."