The Río Sonora Region and Big Jim
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”
Big Jim’s birthday is coming up on July 30.
Big Jim Griffith was honored and remembered by his friends and loved ones in a recent edition of the Tucson Weekly. I, too, wanted to put words to paper to reflect on how Jim’s big shadow - a synthesis of his personality, humanity, and genuine delight for the diverse cultural traditions that make this land so unique - directly impacted me.
Jim reminded me of my grandfather, so I was immediately drawn to him, they were both storytellers. Getting to know him and gaining understanding by reading his books inspired a wonderment in how distinct the Arizona-Sonora borderlands are from anywhere else and how fortunate we are to call this special place home.
Stevan de la Rosa offering a demonstration on adobe making.
To bring this all back to the present, Borderlandia recently returned from our inaugural Río Sonora region trip with a wonderful group of travel companions to get to know and learn about this place. From the headwaters of the Sonora River in Cananea to the beautiful former Sonoran Capital of Ures, we traveled, met the local people, took part in the local gastronomy, and explored the nature, history, and culture of this part of Mexico. I still remember so many moments from that original trip having the chance to return, reminisce, and relive being there first with Big Jim and the sounds of his amazing ability to play the banjo.
P.S. If you are unfamiliar with Folklorist Big Jim Griffith, here is a video profile from Arizona Public Media.
This all started back in 2014 running across the opportunity to attend a University of Arizona Ethnographic Field School in a place I had never heard of before, Banámichi, Sonora, México. Living in San Diego, the field school seemed to be an ideal chance to broaden my perspective of the border and to visit an area that had intrigued me.
So I seized it and the experience changed my life. There in that beautiful valley situated in between mountain ranges of the Sierra Madres, I met and learned a lot from people with an experience and understanding of Sonoran culture and history. People like Big Jim, Maribel Alvarez, Bill Steen, Guillermo Noriega Núñez, and Stevan de la Rosa. Determined to find a way to be closer to Sonora, I was able to transfer from Pecos National Historical Park to Tumacacori National Historical Park a year later.
The Black Christ of Aconchi, Sonora.
Having a lot of fun on a visit to Banámichi and the Río Sonora Valley.
You’re invited to join us on a special next trip to the Río Sonora Region for Mexican Independence Day September 15-17, 2023.
Read what people are saying about Borderlandia’s tours: Testimonials.
