Out of the Sierra: A Story of Rarámuri Resistance

One displaced Rarámuri family charts a path forward for themselves and their community in this testament to the power of perseverance and the many forms resistance can take. The effects of climate catastrophe and Indigenous erasure are specific and unforgettable in Out of the Sierra's vivid portrait of one Rarámuri family forced to leave their home in the Sierra Madre mountains. Displaced by drought and food shortages, Martina, Luis, and their children journey to Chihuahua City, toward a new and uncertain future in a government-funded Indigenous settlement. With tenderness, intelligence, and deep insight into the many shapes resistance can take, Out of the Sierra offers a testimony to human resilience and the power of community in the face of broken systems. Blanco considers Indigenous resistance and identity, race, and climate change with compassion and care, asking: What can we learn from the Rarámuri people, who are resisting assimilation and upholding traditional knowledge in our era of climate catastrophe? Based on two years of oral history collection and participatory field work, Out of the Sierra elevates the stories of the Gutiérrez family and interrogates the systems and history that caused their displacement and poverty.