Native Mexican super-athletes: Tarahumara

Weird or What (MemeScythe); Xochitl, Crystal Quintero, Dhr. Seven  (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Raramuri/Tarahumara Native American Mexican women with baby, Lake Arareco

(Dan Bocchino) Exploring Endurance Running: The Tarahumara Tribe. National History doc

The Tarahumara: Hidden Tribe of Super-athletes Born to Run

Nestled in NW Mexico in the canyons of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range (full of pine forests) is a small tribe of indigenous Native American people known as the Tarahumara.

They call themselves the Rarámuri, which loosely translates as "running people," "foot-runner," "swift of foot," or "one who walks well."
 

Traditional Raramuri male dress

They are known for evading the Spanish colonial Conquistadors in the 16th century and keeping their Copper Canyon cave-dwelling culture alive and secluded.

They are more famous for their long-distance running and their superior health. They are free of the common health problems of "progress" in modern societies. A National Geographic study (November 2008) states:

"When it comes to the Top 10 health risks facing American men, the Tarahumara are practically immortal: Their incidence rate is at or near zero in just about every category, including diabetes, vascular disease, and colorectal cancer...
 

Tarahumaras, 1892 (Lumholtz)

"Plus, their supernatural invulnerability isn't just limited to their bodies; the Tarahumara have mastered the secret of happiness as well, living as benignly as bodhisattvas in a world free of theft, murder, suicide, and cruelty."

So what is the Tarahumara story, and what can we learn from them? How can we use their Native American history as an example for our own primal living?

For some they may not be an example of what is considered "primal," but rather they are one of the most evolved we can find in the world today. More: liveprimal.com/2009/07/tarahumara...