ABSTRACT: ETHNIC TOURISM IN THE SIERRA TARAHUMARA:
A COMPARISON OF TWO RARAMURI EJIDOS
by Amy Elizabeth Anderson, M.A.
The University of Texas at Austin, 1994
SUPERVISOR: William E. Doolittle
Ethnic tourism is becoming increasingly important in the Sierra Tarahumara
region of Chihuahua, Mexico as it is
elsewhere in the world where indigenous people live. Raramuri residents of the
neighboring ejidos of Arareco and
Cusarare have taken different approaches to handling tourism. Arareco's
outside-assisted project contrasts with
Cusarare's inside-initiated approach in regard to four main issues: economic
development, tourist attractiveness,
inter-ethnic relations, and community cohesiveness. In Arareco, economic
development is uneven, tourist attractiveness
has declined, inter-ethnic relations between the Raramuri and mestizos have
worsened, and community cohesiveness has
been disrupted by the uneven distribution of benefits between the genders and
locations. In contrast, Cusarare's economic
development is slower and better- distributed, tourist attractiveness is
maintained because of the retention of traditional
lifestyle, and inter-ethnic relations are cooperative and mutually beneficial
as both the mestizos and the Raramuri profit
from tourism. However, the community in Cusarare is also divided but between
those who welcome tourism and those
who reject it. This thesis further illuminates the debate between inside and
outside development strategies within the wider
context of ethnic tourism.
--Ron E. Mader, Publisher El Planeta Platica: Eco Travels in Latin America WWW http://www.planeta.com Ron@txinfinet.com ------------------------------------------------------------ InfiNet - an online community for progressive information BBS 512.462.0633 Telnet: shakti.txinfinet.com:3000 WWW http://www.greenbuilder.com