The Evolution of Agricultural Adaptations in the Sierra Tarahumara

Abstract

Often viewed as one of the most isolated and intact indigenous groups in Mexico, the Tarahumara have been neither isolated nor intact for almost 400 years. Similarly, agriculture that is traditionally envisioned as adapted to the steep canyons and uplands of the Sierra Madre Occidental in southwestern Chihuahua has undergone a series of changes over four centuries. Underlying these changes, however, one constant remains -- the need to overcome the lack of organic matter in the stony mountain soils. From the time of the Spaniards' arrival until thetwenty-first century, large amounts of animal manure compensated for deficiencies in organic matter. Recently, this has begun to change; the Tarahumara are increasingly adopting commercially available fertilizers due to the pressures of globalization and drought. Tarahumara agriculture today involves many traditional techniques, but it also contains techniques that are anything but native or indigenously developed. This study includes in-depth interviews with 28 Tarahumara farmers to better understand the adoption of modern agricultural techniques, their motivations, and overall sustainability. Soil samples taken from these farmers' fields are analyzed to determine the sustainability of Tarahumara agriculture. The analyses show that traditional Tarahumara agricultural practices appear to be the most efficient and sustainable, but should not necessarily be viewed as a panacea.