Many books have been written on the Mexican Revolution, and some on its aftermath (including the First and the Second Cristero Rebellions), but very few on what happened during that time in remote Indigenous regions of Mexico like the Gran Nayar. In fact, this book is one of only a handful to deal with any period of history in the context of the Gran Nayar. The region's Indigenous people—the Wixaritari (also known as Huichol), Náayari (Cora), O'dam (Southern Tepehuan), and Mexicaneros (Nahua)—are among anthropologists' favorites, for purportedly being traditional and resolutely pagan (or superficially influenced by Christianity). Consequently, ritual, mythology, and traditional arts have been documented quite thoroughly for the region, but studying its history has not been a priority.
This book clearly shows that there are no peoples without history in the Gran Nayar. Considering popular images of the region as dominated by unspoiled, shamanic communities, the amount and...
