Ecopolitical ontologies in the Sierra Oriental Hidalguense (Mexico): A look on the ritual practices of the "Ñuhu" and "Ma'alh'ama' " to the Siren

• Autores: Martínez Patricio, Gustavo, Castillo Oropeza, Oscar Adán
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2024
• Institución: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
• Repositorio: Revistas - Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
• Lenguaje: español
• OAI Identifier: oai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/27356
• Enlace del recurso: http://revistas.pucp.edu.pe/index.php/Kawsaypacha/article/view/27356
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: Ecopolitical ontology; Indigenous peoples; Rituals; Siren; Mexico; Ontología ecopolíticas; Pueblos indígenas; Rituales; Sirena; México

In Mexico, in the Eastern Sierra of Hidalgo, as well as in other territories inhabited by indigenous groups, an intimate relationship with their territory and nature is observed, generating knowledge, ways of being and existing that are transmitted generationally through oral tradition and practice, embodied in various rituals. In the case of the Ñuhu (Otomi) and Ma’alh’ama’ (Tepehua) peoples of this region, the presence of various deities is noted, one of them being the "Siren," which is shared among both ethnic groups. Therefore, this document aims to primarily analyze the ecopolitical ontologies of the Ñuhu and Ma’alh’ama’ of the Eastern Sierra of Hidalgo through their customs (ritual practices), specifically those related to the Siren, which strengthen their relationship with their territory and nature. This analysis is made possible through semi-structured interviews, the systematization of shared experiences and narratives from nine farmers, and ethnographic work supported by participant observation. Finally, it is concluded that rituals to the Siren can be understood not only as sociocultural events but as historical assemblages between humans and non-humans, inherent to the existence and continuity of these indigenous groups as collective political subjects with their own rights over their nature, territory, and self-determination.