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Your guide to Copper Canyon Mexico, the Tarahumara Indians, and the world's most exciting Train and Rail Vacation through the Sierra Madre Mountains is here in this comprehensive best-selling guidebook.
Within Copper Canyon and the state of Chihuahua you can find traditional Tarahumara festivals, the largest crystals on earth, Paquime and Mata Ortiz pottery, and the legendary Tarahumara Indian runners as well as the world famous "rails to adventure" on the incredable train through the canyon..
We also offer the History of the Copper Canyon and Tarahumara Indians, including "Unknown Mexico" by Carl Lumholtz and the "Silver Magnet" by Grant Shepherd. You will also find information on the current drought and famine relief in the Northern Sierra Madre in Copper Canyon affecting the Tarahumara Indian people and the food relife are providing to the childern.
You are provided with maps, illustrations, and graphs for vehicle, train, backpacking, and hiking trips throughout this rugged and famous mountain range that hides the "treasure of the Sierra Madre."
Richard D. Fisher, the world's leading canyoneer and international authority on canyons worldwide, leads you through this mystical region with breathtaking and stunning photography not only of the natural landscapes, but of many restored colonial towns as well as through modern cities along recently renovated freeways, paved roads and winding down through little-known hiking paths to remote waterfalls, gorges, and primitive Indian villages.
Purchase
Copper Canyon Books
and Worldwide Canyon Books HERE!
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Copper Canyon and the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico
The famous CopperCanyon train ride accesses the home of the Tarahumara Indians near Creel. Maps, guidebooks, guide services, hotels, hostels and information on tourist agency as well as Tarahumara Indian charities available here.
Purchase
Copper Canyon Books
and Worldwide Canyon Books HERE!
• Grand Canyons WorldWide
• Mexico's Copper Canyon
• History of Copper Canyon and the Tarahumara Indians
• National Parks of Northern Mexico
• The Virgin of Guadalupe
• Earth's Mystical Grand Canyons
• Earth's Mystical Grand Canyons Collection - Australia
Richard Fisher looks forward to talking to you about your trip to Mexico and the Copper Canyon. We encourage you to order your Copper Canyon books directly from Sunracer so you can have the option of being on our mailing list and talking to Richard directly.
News and Views from the Mystical Gorges, Chasms, and Hidden Lands of the Sierra Madre, Mexico
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The Copper Canyon Comet
A Story in the Spiral
We have never been here before
We will never be here again
but we live within the circle or spiral of life.
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Copper Canyon is the ancient home of the Tarahumara Indian tribe known to be the most traditional Native Americans left in North America and perhaps the world. Their religious ceremonies have a kernel of meaning that stretches back to the time of the Anasazi.
Their canyon home has isolated and protected them in their natural and native habitat for centuries. Today, this gorge is a vibrant center of eco tourism and the access to the canyon has been called "the world's most exciting train ride" by the Society of American Travel Writers.
For the last ten years, this region has experienced a record drought and has resulted in widespread famine among the most remote Tarahumaras. As naturalists, humanitarians, journalists and eco tourism promoters, we have delivered more than 160 tons of critically needed famine relief and perhaps we have saved hundreds of these very rare and endangered tribal people.
Our guidebooks are the best sellers on the area and include brilliant photography, text, and maps. It is listed as a five-star bestseller by Amazon.com. |
The Tarahumara in the Batopilas Canyon near Creel, Chihuahua say that in these drought conditions, tourism is their only income and hope for the survival of their families. This, in addition to our food and cloth deliveries, is virtually their only support system, and is very much appreciated.
The drought conditions have been front-page news in more than 150 stories in all of the regional newspapers, both in the USA and Mexico. Unfortunately, very little coverage has been given to this unfolding humanitarian and environmental crisis. There are perhaps less than 5,000 of these most traditional and worthy Indians remaining.
Just a little help through your prayers and moral, as well as financial donations will go a long way toward alleviating the suffering of many children. Global warming and currently an intense heat wave jeopardize all of their domestic flocks as well as the family structure itself.
There has been absolutely no rain this spring, so crops cannot be planted and, therefore, there will be no harvest this year. Your help and consideration is critically needed.
Hold on tight. You are about to take the plunge into one of the most rugged and mysterious chasms on earth. Here you will be lead by the most experienced and longtime Copper Canyon guide, Richard D. Fisher, and his family. Photographic enthusiasts will be impressed by the efforts of master photographer, David L. Teschner. |
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When the delivery truck arrived, Mariah invited her Tarahumara friendsto help her unload perhaps more than a ton of food. The kids turned it into a fun game. Even the older teenage boys got involved when it came time to move the 120-pound sacks of beans. |
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David Teschner and Bookmans Entertainment Exchange have donated 4 guitars to Tarahumara musicians in the past 12 months.
Our small non-profit has donated more than a dozen musical instruments, including accordions, to these remote tribal people in the past decade. We can see a direct and dramatic friendship and cultural liveliness as a direct result of these donations. |
David Teschner volunteering on his sixth trip to the Sierra to deliver food to the most remote Tarahumara villages. |
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Due to your very generous support we were able to deliver a diversity of food stuffs to Munerachi as well as Portrero. We were not able to contact the Gentiles to arrange a delivery as the road has not been completed into the area.
I hope to go again in May and try to access
the Gentile area from above where apparently the road has been completedmost, if not all, the way.
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We buy all of the food from local stores, hire local drivers to deliver it, use local hotels, and generally support the entire local economic activities through our family eco tourism expeditions. Additionally, we support, communicate, and participate with the local Tarahumara, as well as Mexican elected officials.
In fact, we all have a lot of fun. I am sure at times we are very hilarious entertainment for the local folks and equally contribute in a positive and helpful way
to everyone we meet, as much as we can.
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Marsha and Mariah help deliver more than 2 tons of food to
Munerchi. The heat at about 108 degrees was stifling, but all
of our volunteers held up very well through the many hours
involved in distributing the food evenly and equitably. |
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Mariah was going to miss her annual Easter egg hunt so much that shedecided she would organize one for her Tarahumara friends. Her grandmother, Pat donated more than 200 plastic eggs which everyone helped fill with candy bits. During the long hours that we waited for thefood delivery truck to arrive or before the ceremony began, Mariah managed to organize at least six successive hunts.
It took 2 or 3 triesfor the Tarahumara children to understand all of the aspects of the game. Watching the learning curve for both Mariah's intercultural nonverbal communications and equally the Tarahumara children's learning from hernonverbal instructions was a worthwhile experience in and of itself.
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While we were unloading food, we noticed that one young Tarahumara girl wasnot helping as were her friends. As the day progressed, we were able to see that perhaps she was blind and/or autistic. While we adults never quite figured out exactly what her handicap might be, when Mariah came to understand that she was in some way handicapped, she made sure the little girl had six eggs just as all the other kids did. On the last hunt Mariah actually lead her aroundby the hand so she could find her own eggs in the nooks and crannies of the church yard and in the surrounding desert.
Thanks Pat and Mariah for that special experience. |
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Semana Santa 2006 was the most spectacular ever. Due to our food delivery we were completely accepted and welcomed to take photographs as never before.
Patrocinio Lopez was interviewed concerning cultural and health issues, such as puberty, marriage, and child birthing ceremonies. He related that all of these private familyceremonies were no longer being held, as there was no corn nor adequate food to support these critical cultural events.
On another note, we saw many animals that were in a state of starvation or had alreadydied as a result of lack of food even though there was some water in theriver. |
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A drunk teenager that slammed into our brand new truck was able to hit and run after the accident. These kids were able to get a mile beyond the accident site before they drove into a ditch. Luckily for them, we were completely stopped when they hit us and they only received minor injuries
as a result of their out-of-control driving. These youngsters subsequently ran off into the desert, thereby escaping capture by the police and consequences for their reckless driving.
One of the unfortunate side effects of this accident was that we forgot to record the sound of the ceremonies, which was one of our main objectives.
We were a bit shaken by this encounter and very well treated and attended to by the police from the local Mexican police force from Baopilas. |
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Our brand new truck that we obtained for the food deliveries was wrecked by a drunk teenager. Luckily, we had the heavier and stronger vehicle, so no one
in our group was injured. We had to use a jack and some twine to make the
vehicle drivable for the return trip to the USA.
If anyone knows of a good body and paint shop in Tucson or Chihuahua City,
we would very much appreciate your referral. |
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The beauty of these children receiving critically needed food far outweighed any downside that came as a result of the accident. |
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Like a cat with 9 lives, we have managed to land safely on our feet again, but we are just hanging in there by our finger and toe nails. If it were notor the very unfortunate wreck, this would have been the most successful
and spectacular food delivery ever. All the people that participated as volunteers on our delivery team, as well as all of the hundreds of Tarahumaras that we worked with, had a fantastic time. I cannot say exactly how we allfelt together after this incredible experience. One of our volunteers said it was like a Technicolor movie with one dramatic scene after the otherunfolding moment by moment. Most of the days were between 108-110
degrees so it often seemed as if we were in an entirely different reality with the color intensified by the extreme heat.
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In a balanced world,
I have always believed that
women and children
are God's truly heroic
action figures.
-Richard D.Fisher
2006
I hope you enjoyed our photographs where you can see this philosophy come true.
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A number of people have asked us how they can help. New ideas are welcomed, and here are a few suggestions that have proven to be effective.
1) One critically needed service is to help us start an Internet initiative which will get us in the top ten selections on Google and other search engines. Google features all commercial and/or out-of-date blogs on the Copper Canyon. None of them discuss the devastating 10+ years of drought and it's effects on Tarahumara Indian children. As far as we know, we are the only United States organization to make any effort at all to address this humanitarian crisis, which is just a few hundred miles south of the USA/Mexico border. We have, by far and away, the best book and best seller on this region, several excellent web sites, and a track record of delivering more than 160 tons of food during the last decade. We also provide the only reliable and broadly based non political new coverage on the Copper Canyon and the Tarahumara Indians. Clearly, if quality, newsworthiness, consistency, and proven humanitarian commitments are of any value as information on the Internet, we should be listed at the very top.
We could certainly use any and all assistance from any web gurus that you may know, as well as referrals to your list of e-mail friends.
- If you can help us with links to information about the Copper Canyon, the Tarahumara Indians, beneficial ecotourism travel, guided trips, government information, drought in north central Mexico, native starvation please let us know.
comments, suggestions, information and questions here!
2) You can contribute cash or colorful gingham textiles in six-yard lengths to our next food delivery.
Please send to:
Wilderness Research Expeditions
Non-profit Charity and Educational Organization
IRS 501(c)3
P.O. Box 86492
Tucson, AZ 85754
(520)882-5341
sunracer@cox.net
www.coppercanyon.org
www.canyonsworldwide.org
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$20.00 (includes S&H)
Send check or money order to:
Sunracer Publications
P.O. Box 86492
Tucson, AZ 85754
(520)882-5341
sunracer@cox.net
www.coppercanyon.org
www.canyonsworldwide.org
10-20% of our profits of this book go directly to the
Tarahumaras whose photos are contained within. |
This web page and newsletter is brought to you by
the Fisher/Williams Cultural Arts and Media Group.
Thank you to David Teschner for many of these fine photos and to all of our volunteers that made this experience
possible.
By your kindness, can you forward this e-mail far and wide.
Thank you so very much!
Richard D. Fisher |
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| view and order Copper Canyon and World Canyon books here |
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