Xixemes, The Warriors That Lived In mexico's Northwestern Deserts
Salatiel Barrag?n
In 1963, a group of enthusiastic explorers visited the Comarca Lagunera region. Discovering very old arrowheads and carved stone figures different from those found in museums, encouraged them to continue in their search, which has produced important information about the region?s pre-Hispanic cultures.
After finding dozens of these pieces and showing them to archeologists, they knew that these were vestiges of one of northern Mexico?s most bellicose and feared Indian groups, the Xiximes. Encouraged by their discoveries and interested in knowing more about the history of these Indians, members of this expedition (which had already established the Xiximes Explorer?s Club) expanded their activities to the states of Coahuila, Sinaloa, and Nayarit.
?The strange name of Xiximes sounded attractive and we got it from the warring tribe related to Indian groups in the states of Durango and Sinaloa,? said Mr. Gonz?lez, ?we have walked on many roads and paths: the dust, the burning sun, the remoteness, the thirst, and the dangerous animals never stopped us, since the greatest reward has been finding important pieces that help us understand the region?s history. We work all day. Mornings and afternoons are very good, since arrowheads shine when the sun is at an angle.? He told us that about thirty years ago, they used to find up to 50 arrowheads in a single day, but that now they only find two to six, and ten at most.
The first desert expeditions took place in the Seis de Octubre and Charcos de Risa sandbanks. The original purpose was to go hunting, but instead they found chuzos and shells lying in the sand. After this first trip, they began to share their stories about finding objects in different places with other people. Their exploratory mindset was defined after learning that Americans had traded their clothes and food for arrowheads and other archeological pieces from locals. During the first two years they visited the sandbanks and found several pieces. Afterwards, they explored the caves of Charcos de Risa, Sierra Margarita, and Sierra Tlahualilo, where they found several stone objects. According to Mr. Gonz?lez, the objective was to set up a museum that somehow rescues the past of these Indian groups.
Expeditions include visits to places like a 12-meter deep mortuary cave, located in Ca??n del Venado (canyon) near San Pedro de las Colinas; the cave of Buen Abrigo (18-meters deep) had several skulls of children and women, as well as stone knives stuck together with a black resin called chautle mixed with ashes, mezquite wood, and other plants. La Candelaria, one of the most interesting caves, was sacked years ago; only huaraches (sandals), yaguales (padded rings for carrying loads on the head) and stone knives were found. The caves of Pasaje, Durango had fine chuzos, arrowheads, stone and shell necklaces; a small boy once found a small carved stone shaped like a reptile. Other caves are deeper and people have found ceremonial centers with pipes, bone spoons, wooden pincers, and white rock necklaces.
Rock paintings and strange petroglyphs have been found in mountainous walls and natural cavities. Piedras Encimadas (Piled Rocks) ? near a town called Dinamita in the Sarnoso Sierra ? have this name because of the large amount of piled rocks in this area; colorful rock paintings and petroglyphs have also been found very close by.
House ruins, arrowheads, and shell necklaces point out to the fact that Indian groups lived near the dry Mayr?n Lagoon. During their first years of activities, the exploration group found the remains of nearly extinct animals in front of this lagoon: two Mexican wolves in Sierra Bandras and a puma near Charcos de Risa. Almost all expeditions always run into some sort of danger: sandstorms, rattlesnakes, giant tarantulas, but they also get to enjoy things like seeing shy long-eared hares or the beautiful scenery.
THE TRIBES OF THE LAGUNA REGION
The numerous pieces collected by members of the Xiximes Explorer?s Club and by private collectors, clearly demonstrate that many people lived in semiarid northern Mexico. According to scholars, the main tribes included Chichimecas, Tepehuanes, Irritilas, Tobosos, Cocoyomes, Zacatecos, Huachichiles, Borrados, Conchos, Guamares, Pames, and many others, which oftentimes made up a single family; apparently, all these tribes originated from the Tepehuanes. The Xiximes, on the other hand, were N?huatl-speaking nomads that lived in the states of Durango and Sinaloa; they hunted deer, wild boars, hares, wild turkeys, and other animals. They were fierce warriors that walked around semi-naked, and painted their faces and bodies with ochre, black, and yellow colors. A distinct feature is that they had the custom of wearing necklaces with shells or the bones of their enemies.
Speaking of 29 tribes in the Comarca Lagunera region shows just how much this area was inhabited, since vestiges of these people have been found in mortuary caves scattered all over this region. Many of these groups or tribes surrendered to the Spaniards and became their allies; in the early 16th century (1604-6), these tribes helped fight the Xiximes. After many battles, the governor of New Vizcaya (present-day Durango) founded a Catholic mission and several towns, including San Gregorio, Chalala, San Pedro, and Tecaya, in the land of these ferocious Indians. After a few years, the Xiximes rebelled: the uprising was crushed, the leaders were executed, and the survivors were sent to mestizo (mixture of Spanish and Indian blood and culture) towns located amongst mezquite, huizache, nopal (prickly pears), matas de gobernadora, and other desert plants. After being beaten by something more powerful than their will to fight, they ended up adopting the lifestyle of their conquerors.
THE XIXIMES COMMUNITY MUSEUM
Jos? Ma. Gonz?lez, Manuel Dom?nguez, and Jes?s Loza P?rez, founding members of the Xiximes Explorer?s Club, decided to give their native city of G?mez Palacio a site where its inhabitants could admire their rich historical heritage. With time they ran out of space in their homes to put the pieces they had collected; they tried to place them in a museum, but could not find one. This led them to propose the community to raise funds in addition to donations received by the National Council of Culture and Arts, in order to establish a specialized museum. They reached their objective, and rented a place downtown, where everybody pitched in by remodeling, painting, making showcases, and cutting wood. 35 years of tough explorations, sacrifice, and money spent by each of the members, were finally left behind.
?We spent many years looking for help to establish this museum, but didn?t find any. Finally, however, we reached our goal: to inaugurate the gallery. I remember how some government officials told us not to collect anything, since archeological pieces are the nation?s property, and this would cause us problems,? said Mr. Gonz?lez.
The Xixime Museum, part of the community museums program, was inaugurated on July 27, 1996, and got help from the Durango Regional Unit?s Popular Culture Office. Today hundreds of children and foreign tourists visit it every year. Its objective is to rescue the roots of regional cultures, and to exhibit objects, documents, and pieces that teach about different aspects of the region?s history. They are the vestiges of the first settlers in Arid-America, collectively known as ?Chichimecas?, who only left objects used in daily life and not the great constructions of central and southern Mexico.
The museum has many arrowheads made of silex or flints of different colors, as well as tools used for hunting and war; utensils for home, tools to cut hides; mortars and molcajetes (stone or pottery mortar on a tripod), to grind corn or colored dirt to make paint for ceremonies, battle, etc.; plough tools similar to those still used by the Tarahumaras; photographs of rock paintings and petroglyphs that seem to portray different aspects of daily life; skulls and bones found in several caves near the Comarca Lagunera region, as well as photographs of the region?s recent history.
Some glass showcases exhibit strange figures of clay or carved rock; pieces of clothes and fishing nets weaved with agave and palm fibers; grass yaguales of different sizes used to carry things on the head or as pillows; sandals for children and adults made of lechuguilla, grass, or palmilla; plates made with sotol fibers; necklaces and other decorations worn on necks, noses, and ears made of gray flintstones. The museum also exhibits several weapons and other objects of the early and mid-20th century. It also has several snakes, a desert turtle, cacti, and several spiders. Since the museum is full, many pieces are still in the homes of members of the group.
The paleontology section (plant and animal fossils) has bits of petrified wood; bones of large mammals, including a mammoth?s molar found near Viesca, Coahuila; remains of trilobites (marine arthropods that lived over 500 million years ago); ammonites dug up at the shore of Francisco Zarco dam; a gigantic petrified oyster (over 50 kilos) found in Agua Puerca dam; dinosaur remains of the Tertiary and Quaternary periods; shark teeth and fossilized sea snails (80-150 million years old) from the time when the region was part of the old Tetis Sea.
The satisfaction of discovering so many things from the past, as well as defending archeological sites from plunderers, is fantastic, and as Mr. Gonz?lez and other members of the group say, ?the objective has always been to rescue anything with Indian roots, since they are our ancestors. We must never allow foreigners to take away our national heritage by paying campesinos (peasants) with ridiculously low amounts of money or useless things.? Because of this, the founders of this visionary club still walk around in the desert, except these days they are joined by their children and grandchildren. They look for remains of old and almost unknown cultures, and as one member of the club says, ?the sands of the desert and the caves in the mountains still hold important secrets.?
A DESERT WITH HISTORY
This is a beautiful desert with breathtaking landscapes, enigmatic mountains, and a richness that only until recently man has begun to understand. It is a desert full of meteoric rocks from space that end their journey in these lands. A site that encloses the mysteries of the ancient shores of the large Coahuila peninsula and the vastness of the Sea of Tertis.
http://www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx/english/historia/prehispanica/detalle.cfm?idsec=1&idsub=12&idpag=2089
