Evolving Tarahumara Arts and Crafts

Tarahumara Indian arts and crafts are skillfully produced for both personal and commercial use but outside sales of mass produced, imitation products to tourists threaten their artistic tradition and economic security. The Tarahumara, because they were considered Mexican rather than Native American, had trouble marketing their goods successfully until later in the 20th century. Modern merchants are exploiting the recent popularity of Tarahumaran works by creating poor-quality copies and selling them at discount prices.