Huatabampo

Huatabampo lies on the coastal plain near the lower Mayo River, within the homeland of the Yoreme, or Mayo people. The river crosses a dry region before reaching the Gulf of California, and its valley supports communities whose name and traditions reflect a long relationship with its waters.

Jesuit missionaries established missions in the Mayo valley in 1614, bringing the Yoreme into a system of mission villages. Tensions over labour, local authority and land grew during the eighteenth century. In 1740 Mayo communities joined the Yaqui in a revolt against the colonial order; the movement spread across several river valleys of the northwest. Yoreme people continued to maintain their communities and traditions along the river despite these conflicts. The revolt drew support from communities along the Fuerte and Sinaloa rivers.