Manifestations of korima in the US Mexico Borderlands

Speaker: Victoria Blanco, Writer and Researcher

This lecture examines how the Rarámuri people of Chihuahua, Mexico sustain their cultural identity and resist assimilation through korima, a principle of reciprocity that emphasizes mutual care and interconnectedness between people and the natural world. Traditionally practiced in the Sierra Madre mountains of western Mexico, korima has been adapted by urban-dwelling Rarámuri in border cities like Chihuahua and Ciudad Juárez. Amid challenges like industrialization and marginalization, the Rarámuri manifest korima in urban spaces through practices such as dressmaking, running, resource sharing, and preserving traditional ecological knowledge. These efforts transform Chihuahua and Ciudad Juárez into sites of cultural resistance and ecological stewardship. By exploring these adaptations, the lecture highlights the role of korima in addressing social and environmental injustices, offering insights into how indigenous frameworks of reciprocity can inform sustainability and resilience in urbanized contexts.

This lecture is sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program in collaboration with the Department of English.

Victoria Blanco’s first book, Out of the Sierra: A Story of Rarámuri Resistance, was published in 2024 by Coffee House Press. Research and writing for Out of the Sierra has been supported by a Fulbright Award, research fellowships from the University of Minnesota, among others. Her field research on Rarámuri resistance is ongoing with the support of the Community Development Action Fund (CDAF) from the U.S. Department of State. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Minnesota, where she taught creative writing and composition courses. She is also the recipient of the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship, Ellen Meloy Desert Writers Award, the Digital Borderlands grant from the University of Arizona, and the Minnesota Regional Arts Council grant. Victoria’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, Guernica, Literary Hub, and Catapult, among others.