CASAS GRANDES, Mexico (Border Report) – Kenia Gonzalez has lived on the border all of her life, but it wasn’t until a few days ago that she ventured into 600-year-old Indigenous ruins a three-hour drive from her home.
“I knew about them from school, but it’s very different to the experience of being here. It’s interesting because it’s part of our heritage,” said the Juarez resident who made a weekend trip with her family to Nuevo Casas Grandes. The trip included a visit to a museum where Indigenous artifacts and Spanish antiques are displayed.
The raised earthen walls in the middle of the Chihuahuan desert are part of a town called Paquime where the Mogollon people lived, traded and practiced their spiritual ceremonies.
Their culture flourished between 1200 and 1450 A.D., although their presence in the region dates back to the eighth century A.D., according to the United Nation’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The rounded adobe walls are what is left of some 2,000 dwellings, workshops, stores and patios – with many more remnants possibly not yet dug out, according to UNESCO.
Paquime is one of the so-called pueblos mágicos, or “magical towns” the state of Chihuahua is promoting to bolster regional and international tourism.
State officials met here late last month to discuss how best to market Paquime, Creel, Batopilas, Guachochi and Parral – towns most Americans haven’t heard of but might be awed with once they set foot in them.
The officials and entrepreneurs hope to turn that interest into business opportunities for the locals and economic development for the nearby contemporary towns – like Casas Grandes – where the tourists will stay and dine.
They agreed that reassuring visitors about safety is paramount.
The meeting included state Tourism Secretary Edibray Gomez and a representative from Mexico’s Tourism Office.
Abraham Maciel, a professional from Torreon, Mexico, who moved to Juarez to work, said he has observed Indigenous architecture throughout the state of Chihuahua.
“The desert culture is very extensive,” Maciel said. “I have seen things in Samalayuca that remind me of Paquime. The same as Cueva de la Olla and 40 Casas. There are some (similarities) to New Mexico, so it’s all related to the same culture.”
ProVideo contributed to this report.
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