Tarahumara Indian Traditional Crafts from Fausto's Art Gallery

The Tarahumara Indians of the Copper Canyon region of Southwestern Chihuahua State are famous as endurance runners, competing with each other in a traditional marathon race where they kick a wooden ball, about the size of a baseball, ahead of themselves and cover distances of over 20 miles typically in a race. They are the largest and most primitive tribe in North America, clinging to their language and culture and remaining apart from the “chabochis” - the Mexicans - whom they view with suspicion and scorn. They are currently suffering severe hardships as their arable land is being taken away from them by “narcos”, who use the fields where they traditionally grow their corn and beans to plant marijuana and opium poppies. As a result, many of them are now refugees - living in the streets of cities and towns in Chihuahua state, such as Juarez, Chihuahua City, and Ojinaga. We buy their crafts from them and try to sell them to recoup the money. They make, generally speaking, some very primitive items, shall we say.

Here are some of the items that we sell:

Tarahumara Indian Hand Carved Batea - click on image for more information.