El agua y sus significados. Una aproximación al mundo de los nahuas en México

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overture to the complex forms of social interrelation established by the Nahua people that inhabit the Northern Sierra in the state of Puebla (Sierra Norte de Puebla), with their surroundings; an interrelation guided by a singular logic. An example of this can be observed in the four different manifestations of water: sea and rain, spring and river. Methodology: Ethnographic data that supports this paper was obtained from a long-term study dating back to 1993 and which has remained focused on grasping the reality in which the Nahua people from Sierra Norte de Puebla develop their lives. This data was gathered directly by applying different techniques —including participant observation, ethnographic register and anthropologic interviews— during fieldwork in the Naupan, Xicotepec, Huauchinango and Tlaola municipalities. Conclusions: We strive to demonstrate, using ethnographic data, that different water manifestations are signified as persons or subjects with agency that act based on social norms ruled under a certain logic of cooperation and interdependence, which provides a basis for responsible management practices, and gives meaning to legislative models that could be applied in our country nationwide. Originality: This paper is relevant, in the sense that it can bring new aspects to a broader discussion regarding the nature-culture dichotomy, and it comes to show how the Nahua people connect —through an interdependence model— with the social reality that encloses them.