Out of the Sierra: A Story of Rar疥uri Resistance

A displaced family charts a path forward in this testament to the power of perseverance and the many forms resistance can take.

The Rar疥uri people of Chihuahua, Mexico, make up one of the largest Indigenous tribes of North America. Renowned for maintaining their language and cultural traditions in the face of colonization, they have weathered numerous hardships--climate disaster, poverty, cultural erasure--that have only worsened during the twenty-first century.

Based on more than a decade of oral history and participatory field work, Out of the Sierra paints a vivid and vital portrait of Rar疥uri displacement. When drought leaves the Guti駻rez family with nothing to eat, they are faced with the choice many Rar疥uris must make: remain and hope for rain and aid, or leave their sacred homeland behind. Luis, Martina, and their children choose to journey from their home in the Sierra Madre mountains toward a new and uncertain future in a government-funded Indigenous settlement.

Victoria Blanco considers Indigenous identity with tenderness and intelligence, demanding recognition and justice for the Rar疥uri people as they resist assimilation and uphold traditional knowledge in the face of broken systems. In a narrative of unprecedented access and intimacy, Out of the Sierra offers a groundbreaking testimony to human resilience and the power of community.


Publisher: Coffee House Press
Published: 06/11/2024
Pages: 328
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.50w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9781566896535


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 04/22/2024
Kirkus Reviews 05/01/2024
Booklist 05/15/2024 pg. 8

About the Author
Victoria Blanco's writing has been published in the New York Times, Catapult, Guernica, and others. She holds her MFA in creative writing from the University of Minnesota. She is from El Paso, Texas, and now lives in Minneapolis with her husband and three sons.