Alianza Sierra Madre

The Sierra Madre Alliance – Providing education and resources to restore the rights of the indigenous peoples of the Sierra Madre Occidental.

The Sierra Madre Alliance and its sister organization Alianza Sierra Madre are two non-governmental organizations working together to advocate for the rights of the Tarahumara, indigenous peoples living in the Sierra Madre Occidental region in the western mountain system in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.  Four different ‘tribes’ of Tarahumara, the Odami, Raramuri, Warijo, and the Pima O’Oba, live in networks of small communities throughout the region.  Often marginalized by the government, their resources and land exploited and degraded by financial interests, these indigenous groups of northern Mexico need a voice to help them navigate the complex bureaucracies that are encroaching on their way of life, culture, and environment.

Founded in 1998, and working under the auspices of the Sierra Madre Alliance in the United States, founded at the same time, Alianza Sierra Madre’s purpose is to work as a bridge between the Tarahumara and the Mestizos (the multicultural, mixed race majority).  The culture within the mainly Mestizo Mexican government consists of a “fix it” mentality, particularly when dealing with the poorer, rural, underrepresented indigenous communities.  Seeing the communities as backward or insufficient, the government seeks to bring the indigenous people around to the ‘Mestizo way,’ leading to their marginalization as they are tucked away into the U.S. equivalent of project housing and become more and more separated from their heritage.  The result is a backward people who have no identity but that of forced poverty, effecting high rates of alcoholism, domestic abuse, and child abandonment. 

Those Tarahumara who still live on their land in the Sierra Madre face encroachment by loggers and drug lords.  The latter need a particular plant that grows in the region for drug manufacture. The destruction of the environment is not only detrimental to the Tarahumara communities, but to the entire region.   

The Tarahumara are hearty agrarians who live in small communities linked through their famed ability to run.  Historically running has been their choice when faced with encroaching European conquers.  Rather than fight or assimilate as many Mexican indigenous tribes have, the Tarahumara chose to retreat farther and farther inland until they ended up in the rugged mountains and canyons of the Sierra Madre system.  Now there is nowhere left for them to run to. 

Allianza Sierra Madre works to help the Tarahumara with three main objectives:

1.     Human Rights - The Mexican government provides the basic necessities but not the rights for the Tarahumara - the rights to their land, their ways, and self-determination.  Alianza Sierra Madre advocates for their rights as accorded to them through international agreements.

2.     Sustainable Well Being - The Tarahumara population faces many problems brought by forced integration and marginalization – alcoholism, domestic violence, and poor health.  Alianza teaches the communities about domestic violence prevention during their visits to the communities and is working to build an indigenous school, complete with a farm, in the community to impart their traditions and continue their customs.

3.     Biocultural Conservation – The Tarahumara land and culture is disappearing rapidly as loggers and miners invade their terrain, assisted by government factions and financial interests, and the Mexican government interferes in their way of life.  Lawyers working for Alianza Sierra Madre have filed lawsuits against the government and corporations stopping, for the moment, the intrusion onto Tarahumara land and resources.

There are many organizations in Mexico that work as advocates for the Tarahumara and other indigenous groups. Alianza Sierra Madre is the only organization that goes deep into the Sierra Madre Occidental to meet with communities most affected by the environmental issues.  Currently the organization is working on several pointed goals: an intercultural school that will be agriculturally based, audio tapes, and curriculums in simple Spanish and indigenous languages that educate the communities about their rights and the alliance’s goals to help them gain their own sovereignty.  They also provide administrative and legal assistance against corporate interests and the government itself. (Video)

The people of Alianza Sierra Madre take regular weeklong trips into the Sierra Madres to meet with the different communities, check on them, and keep them up to date.  They share in the indigenous traditions and learn as much as they teach.  There are many opportunities for Spanish speaking students who want to aid in the process. Alianza allows interns to come in to help facilitate the programs and learn about the process of assisting those who are marginalized by the government and taken out of their traditions.

Indigenous cultures are an important part of any country’s social fabric and they are humanity’s heritage.  Pushing them into forced poverty does not serve anyone.  It makes for a society of desperate people and drains the resources from the government.  Building these communities up and celebrating their traditions and way of life helps them teach us lessons about the human race, our past, our present and our future.