Political Ecologies of Cattle Ranching in Northern Mexico: Private Revolutions

Glossary

Glossary acequia. An irrigation canal. agrarismo. Agrarian ideology, but most strongly linked to the Mexican Revolution (1910–1917) and peasants who identified with land-based reforms. aguas (las). The summer rainy season in northwestern Mexico, usually between the months of July and early October. arroyo. A riverbed or an ephemeral water course. bacanora. The regional term in Sonora for mescal, named after the town of Bacanora in central Sonora; a drink derived from Agave species. cabecera. The seat of a misión district. cantina. A rustic bar. Cardenismo. The ideology and movements associated with Lázaro Cárdenas, typically related to land-tenure reforms and the redistribution of private or unoccupied lands. carne asada. Grilled steak, on its own or in tacos; considered the epitome of local cuisine and a luxurious staple for a Sonoran diet. chiltepinero. Someone who collects chiltepines, the wild hot chili pepper (Capsicum annuum var. aviculare) on a seasonal basis. científico/a. A scientist, or conversely, someone who thinks they’re smart but is locally hated or deprecated; associated with the period known as the Porfiriato, when dictator Porfirio Díaz ruled Mexico and used this term for his technical aides who helped plan “scientific” development of the country. comunero. A formal member of a comunidad. comunidad. A community, but used most of the time to label communities that preexisted the Mexican Revolution and the invention of ejidos; a place that claimed or still claims to be indigenous. condueñazo. A form of property co-ownership distinctive of Mexican land tenure; coowners are known as condueños. corrida. An annual roundup of cattle, usually in the fall before calves are sold in the live market; also, occasionally, rounding up unbranded cattle. corrido. A folkloric song, and in many ways, one of the last forms of oral tradition in Mexico’s rural communities. coyote. Generally used today to mean a smuggler of any type, whether referring to human or narcotics trafficking; also a middleman who buys rural products (cattle, chile peppers) for resale elsewhere. 222 Glossary criollo. (1) A person of Spanish (peninsular) background but born in the New World. (2) A cattle breed (see ganado criollo). desmonte. The process of leveling extant desert vegetation, a.k.a. “bulldozer ecology ,” typically practiced before exotic grasses such as buffelgrass are seeded in a pasture. ejidatario/a. A member of an ejido. Technically, someone who is registered on the rolls of the ejido or an heir of a member. ejido. The post-revolutionary communal land institution in Mexico, whereby the landless or land-poor village members could claim possession of arable lands or natural resources. It also served as a rural development institution in many parts of Mexico. equipatas. The regional name for the gentle winter rains in northwestern Mexico. estancia. A ranch or a single large parcel of a ranch. In colonial Mexico, several estancias were needed to be properly termed a hacienda. fayuquero. A rural, itinerant merchant. ganadero/a. A rancher. ganado corriente. In Sonora, common cattle. These are the original, scrawny but tough, cattle from the colonial period. ganado criollo. The tough, rangy descendents of the original Spanish cattle; a synonym for ganado corriente. ganado mayor. Large livestock (cattle, horses, and mules). ganado menor. Smaller livestock (donkeys, goats, and sheep). gringo/a. A generic, usually derogatory, term used for U.S. citizens. hacienda. A large, landed estate, typically associated with the colonial period. Very few survived the Mexican Revolution, but some large ranches remain. Sometimes indiscriminately used as a synonym for latifundio. latifundio. A large estate in Mexico; the related term latifundismo refers to the survival or rebirth of large estates during the twentieth century. licenciado/a. A generic title for an attorney, but also intentionally used as a derisive reference to burros and donkeys. mayordomo. A foreman or designated labor boss. mescal. The local moonshine, made from distilling agave hearts. mescalero/a. Someone who harvests, distills, and sells mescal. mestizo/a. Someone of mixed ethnic heritage; technically refers to someone of both Spanish and indigenous ancestry. milpa. Irrigated field, found along the floodplain. milpa de temporal. Rain-fed field, not supplemented by irrigation. monte. Scrubland or smaller forested areas; also backcountry. municipio. The local equivalent of a township, a jurisdictional area surrounding the most populated area. For example, the township of Baviácora is centered on the small town of Baviácora. narco(-traficante). A drug trafficker. Glossary 223 Opatas. The native...