A framework for the study of acculturation in terms of the larger historical context was developed through research on the Tarahumara Indians of the Sierra Madre in northern Mexico. A new definition of acculturation based on concepts from symbolic anthropology is presented. Acculturation is defined as a complex process of social interaction based on two sets of cultural symbols. Field research focused on a community of Tarahumaras and Mestizo Mexicans. Spanish and Mexican efforts to integrate the Tarahumaras into a larger political system are examined since acculturation is assumed to be integrally related to these processes. The roles of the principal participants in acculturation: traditional Tarahumaras, nontraditional Tarahumaras, Mestizos and mainstream Mexicans and their relationships to each other were examined. Sierra acculturation processes were mainly analyzed in terms of traditional Tarahumaras and Mestizo symbols, their inherent compatibility, and their use in a number of different social contexts in the community. Mainstream Mexicans are mainly involved in national integration efforts which affected both Tarahumaras and Mestizos. Formal education seemed to be the fastest and most effective means through which Tarahumaras were being integrated into the national structure. Nontraditional Tarahumaras were prominant in putting bilingual Indian education programs into effect in the Sierra. In the community it was found that nontraditional Tarahumaras are significantly linked to traditional Tarahumaras, that in spite of strong cultural barriers, Tarahumaras and Mestizos have developed working relationships with each other and that Tarahumara and Mestizo symbols were used not only in common social interactions, but also in political and economic realms. Rather than 'becoming Mestizo,' Tarahumara cultural identity was maintained through the use of central Tarahumara symbols, by redefining Mestizo symbols in Tarahumara social contexts and by using Mestizo symbols (e.g., the Spanish language) in practical ways. The fact that some of the most politically and economically influential members of the community were Tarahumaras provided additional support to the maintenance of Tarahumara cultural identity. It is concluded that Tarahumaras may change their lifestyle and appearance, but depending on how Tarahumara and Mestizo symbols are used, and in which contexts, Tarahumara cultural identity can persist in the face of national integration efforts.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Sociology, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-89).

This thesis looks at the people of Nueva Vizcaya's history of resistance to incorporation into the state during the colonial age, and how this history is connected to the contemporary context in the Sierra Tarahumara. To do this, I use and frame the concepts of community, resistance, violence, ethnogenesis, territory and history as intertwined in such a way that the Sierra Tarahumara and its inhabitants cannot be completely disassociated one from another. By looking at the engagements between colonizers and native people of the colonial North of the Nueva España –Tarahumara and other native indigenous people of the Sierra Madre Occidental– in history, and frame the narratives about these historical encounters, drawing colonial accounts, modern narratives and other sources, I contest in this work, allows to frame indigenous societies agency in history. In addition, this thesis endeavors to engage with the broader discussion about ethnogenesis, indigenous resistance to colonialism, native community and ecological conflicts in Nueva Vizcaya and in the Sierra Tarahumara. Finally, this research wants to make sense of the contemporary conflicts over land rights that indigenous communities of the Sierra Tarahumara face today, and connect them with the history of the colonial encounters of the people of the Nueva Vizcaya. I propose that these encounters, in the colonial time of the conquest of the Nueva Vizcaya, and in the national period, are largely a consequence of a colonial process of ethnogenesis that taxonomically indexed native people in categories related to colonial labor needs and control over the territory, which I frame as tarahumarizacíon and raramurización.

The Tarahumara are one of the most isolated and intact indigenous groups in Mexico. Their agriculture has traditionally been practiced within the steep canyons and uplands of the Sierra Madre Occidental in southwestern Chihuahua. Adapting to these rugged conditions, the Tarahumara developed a variety of agricultural techniques that allowed them to be self-sufficient in food production and independent of external inputs. As varied and ingenious as their techniques are, they share one main objective -- to overcome the lack of organic matter in the stony mountain soils. Since the arrival of the Spaniards, the addition of organic matter has involved large amounts of animal manure to increase organic matter in the soil and maintain fertility. The focus of this study is to investigate new agricultural techniques that the Tarahumara are adopting due to the pressures of globalization and alleged climate change. These new technologies may still include many traditional agricultural methods, but they are increasingly using commercially available fertilizers and other modern agricultural additions, thereby losing self-sufficiency. This study includes in depth interviews with 28 Tarahumara farmers to better understand the modern agricultural techniques, their motivations, and overall sustainability. Soil samples determined the viability of Tarahumara agricultural techniques on soil fertility by examining the visual description, organic matter content, soil texture, and a chemical analysis. The analyses showed that traditional Tarahumara agricultural practices are efficient and sustainable, while modern additions are often ill-suited for their environment and are disruptive to Tarahumara culture. / text

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2006. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 277-291). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.