Nayarit

Nayarit is a mountainous country of steep barrancas and river valleys in the western Sierra Madre. It is the homeland of the Cora, who call themselves Náayeri, as well as neighbouring Indigenous peoples. The high sierra sheltered communities that maintained their independence long after Spanish forces occupied the surrounding lowlands. In 1722 a Spanish expedition seized the Mesa del Nayar, a political and religious centre of the Cora. Military conquest was followed by the establishment of Jesuit missions and new settlements, transforming the political organization of the region. Cora communities nevertheless continued to maintain their own traditions in the mountain country.