 Guarijío territory in magenta | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 2,100 (2020) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Mexico(  Chihuahua, Sonora[1]) | |
| Languages | |
| Guarijio language,Spanish[2] | |
| Religion | |
| Traditional tribal religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Mayo,[1]Tarahumara[3] |
TheGuarijío (Spanish:Guarijío) are anIndigenous people of Mexico. They primarily live in 17 villages near the WestSierra Madre Mountains inChihuahua and theSonoran border.[2] Their homelands are remote and reached either on foot or horseback.[4] Their traditionalGuarijio language has about 2100 speakers.
The Guarijío people are also known as the Huarijío, Maculái, Macurái, Macurawe, Varihío, Varijío, Varohio, or Vorijío people.[2]
TheGuarijío language is aTarahumaran language of theUto-Aztecan language family, written in theLatin script. A dictionary and grammar have been published for the language.[2] Children primarily learn Spanish in school.[4]
Guarijíos lived between theTarahumara to the south and east andMayo to the west. Spanish Jesuit missionaries arrived in their territory in the 1620s. The Jesuits established a mission inChínipas, where some Guarijío andGuazapare people rebelled against them. After the Spanish military retaliated, the Guarijío dispersed and split into two distinct communities—one in Sonora and the other in Chihuahua[1]
These people enjoy seclusion in spacious villages. A festival, calledtuburada, brings them together socially on momentous occasions, including the planting and harvesting of maize.[5] A tubrada includes feasting, ceremonial smoking ofNicotiana rustica, processions with fireworks, and dancing.[6]
Guarijío adapted farming to their dry climate and growamaranth, beans, maize, and squash. They supplement these crops with wild plants harvested from the forest.[4]
| More than 100,000 people | ||
|---|---|---|
| 20,000 – 100,000 people | ||
| 1,000 – 20,000 people | ||
| Less than 1,000 people | ||