For millennia, the Rarámuri have lived in their ancestral canyonlands—four river-carved Grand Canyons in northwest Mexico—growing indigenous varieties of corn and beans. They make their own clothes and sandals, which consist of used tire tread wrapped to their feet with leather straps. Through rugged canyon trails and thorny sagebrush, the Rarámuri travel virtually barefoot, the soles of their feet thick with calluses. Despite their primitive footwear, they are widely regarded as some of the greatest endurance athletes. Rarámuri runners wearing tire-tread sandals have defeated the world’s most highly trained ultramarathoners.

Running and hiking are integral to their daily lives. Women trek dozens of miles daily gathering firewood and food—often with infants strapped to their backs. Three-year-old children run barefoot through the canyons herding goats. For centuries, the Rarámuri have fled conflict by running deeper into their canyons, enabling them to preserve their culture and continue living traditionally.

However, in the past few decades, roads have penetrated deeper into the canyons, drought has decimated crops, narco mafias have killed their leaders and seized their lands, and timber companies are illegally logging their ancient forests.

The Copper Canyon Alliance assists the Rarámuri’s efforts to protect their ancestral lands and traditional culture by providing clean water and sustainable agriculture to Rarámuri schools and communities. We have spent many years with the Rarámuri and forged lasting relationships that have deepened our understanding of the challenges they face.