Women Are Keeping Traditions Alive in Chihuahua, Mexico

Sights to See in Chihuahua, Mexico

The centrepiece of the city is the Government Palace of Chihuahua (Palacio de Gobierno de Chihuahua). The Governor of the state has executive offices here, and this 19th-century architectural mix (each of three levels representing a different style), was refurbished in 2004. It features extensive murals on the walls representing the history of the state, painted remarkably by one man, Aaron Pina Mora, who completed the work in 1962.

The Quintos Gameros is a mansion which is also a Historic National Monument of Mexico. Currently owned by the Centro Cultural Universitario Quinta Gameros, this impressive and imposing building has a storied past, including the fact that it was originally constructed as a private residence in 1907. It is open to the public (although not on the day we visited as all national monuments were closed on inauguration day).

As a Canadian traveller, I was very interested in the Mennonite Community that we visited in Cuauhtemoc. Out of a city of 100,000, a full 60,000 are Mennonites, who came from Canada in the 1920s after the Mexican Revolution had seen the deaths of many young Mexican men. Mostly from Manitoba and Saskatchewan, they were promised an exemption from military service and wouldn’t have to pay taxes for 50 years (until the 1970’s). While they still adhere to mostly traditional roles (men out at work, on the farms, and women at home with the children), Liberal Mennonites don’t wear traditional clothes and use technology. Some Traditional Mennonites still don’t have running water or electricity.

Our guide at the Mennonite Museum, Ashley, wore a t-shirt and jeans, and had a smartphone. She also indicated that she didn’t take over the care of her siblings, previously a role she would have played in the past. We did see Traditional Mennonites in their classic bonnets, dressed in black suits, much like in the Winnipeg area where I grew up. Trading Manitoba for Mexico; I could see the appeal, particularly in the winter months. Those who came were allowed to maintain their Canadian citizenship, not just for themselves, but for their offspring as well.

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