Chihuahua, Mexico

12 inches long, painted wood

The Tarahumara Indians are from the extreme northern part of Mexico and whose closest relatives would be the Huichol, Mayo and Yaqui people. Like the other Northern cultures, their religion is closer to the original animism than that of the Catholic Church. They are famous for their long-distance running ability, which may have evolved because of their widely dispersed settlements in a rough landscape and their lack of modern technology.