User:Conesa.xavier/sandbox

Background
The Rarámuri or Tarahumara, are a Native American people of northwestern Mexico, a tribe of Indians that have lived in the Upper Sierra for over 10,000 years. The Raramuri considers being one of the purest and best preserved ethnic group on the entire American continent. Through thousands of years of oppression and struggle on life, reflects on their culture and spiritual values, which has filled them with an intensity for life and a sense of harmony in human relations and in their relationship with nature. The Raramuri produce a sample selection of handicrafts in various different areas of the Sierra.

The area of the Sierra Madre Occidental, which they now inhabit, is often called the Sierra Tarahumara because of their presence.

Competitions
Running is their way to move forward in life. For this reason they developed a small series of games which lead to the creation of a bigger, tougher competition. This competition is made to prove their endurance and bravery.The competition takes place twice a year and is now open to world athletes as it has awaken interest among scientist and international sport world. Below are listed the different kind of games on which people participate. Rarapipama (ralajipame, or rarajipari) is the race between the men, which consist of running and shooting a wooden ball of 8 to 10 centimetres called goma’kari or komakali. Ariweta is the race between the women, which consist of throwing a hoop of 25 to 30 centimetres that you throw with the help of a stick, while running. The estimate distance varies, it could go from 32 to 150 kilometres. It happens that they run for 72 consecutives hours. These races are run by teams and cover distances of more than 100 kilomters. The longest race in contemporary memory was one that went on for 750 kilometers.

Scientific Speculations
indigenous, poor, isolated, runners, happy, magical, fighters, or is it made of steel? Living in the depths of the Sierra Madre means is no obstacle yet an enjoyable challenge for this amazing people. With an maximum oxygen consumption far more elevated than professional athletes, according to the University of Copenhagen, run up to 3 days no-stop with just a light snack and rubber “huaraches”. Therefore, they’ve Longley awaken scientific curiosity from all over the world. Studies have shown that there’s nothing out of the average in them rather than his ability to run long distances without a short of breath. It has been argued that the Raramurís are the happiest and healthiest people on earth, despite the fact that they are living in poverty and what the western countries would consider low living standard. Furthermore, running means happiness as well.

Within the Raramurí language (name of language) happy is the same word as healthy, happy equals healthy, and the opposite for sadness and sickness. This is something they bring on to people in the early ages, there shall only be smiles and funny faces around babies in order to make them healthy.

As the Raramuri has a spartanly lifestyle, far away from technology and, what most consider, proper medicine, they rarely suffer from diseases such as heart failure, diabetes and other. If they do come across an illness, the Raramurís then use various plants as a way to cure the issues. They see the vegetation as a way to heal rather than cure with medicine.

Moreover, their diet mainly consists of corn, beans, wheat, chilli and potato, whereas beans are where they receive most nutrition, which is vital for their surviving. Meat is not at part of their everyday diet, something that within western countries plays en crucial role in the eating habits. In addition to this, they also use waste from goats in order to fertilize the vegetables. It has been said that they party like rock stars, drinking plenty of Batari, a corn based alcoholic drink.

In addition to healing with vegetation they also use religious ceremonies as a way to cure a disease. The rituals are there to create strong bonds within the community and a vital perspective on their life is that the whole society is one, “all for one, one for all”. The Raramurís considers that by breaking this belief, by not support or help each other, you will become sick.

Despite the fact that they live in a union, it has been discussed that they are quite introvert within themselves. They are rarely open to meeting new people and are rather comfortable with their family, friends and entity.

Is it possible that smiling, being knowledgeable on plants and be supportive, will keep you healthy? Or is it that the secret resides in running? What we do know is that they are all we have left as legacy for health and should respect them in every way.