Pame, Norte in Mexico

People Name:	Pame, Norte
Country:	Mexico
10/40 Window:	No
Population:	400
World Population:	400
Primary Language:	Pame, Northern
Primary Religion:	Christianity
Christian Adherents:	95.00 %
Evangelicals:	0.70 %
Scripture:	Portions
Online Audio NT:	No
Jesus Film:	No
Audio Recordings:	Yes
People Cluster:	Central American Indigenous, other
Affinity Bloc:	Latin-Caribbean Americans
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

There are a couple of Pame tribes, each with their own dialect. One is the Norte Pame, meaning they live in the north of the others. Their language is related to that of the larger Otomí and Mazahua tribes. Their ancestors were the nomadic Chichimec people.
There is little or no archeological evidence about the Pame history, so most of what we know about them came after the Spanish conquest. The Pame homeland was made up of rocky, poor soil. Ironically, this provided them with more independence from the Spaniards since the latter did not want to settle in poor farmland. There were attempts to put the Pame on missions, but they would escape to their homeland and their farms. Even then, Spanish colonists took Pame land reducing them to migrant workers. This continued until the Mexican Revolution (1910-20) when the new government returned land to the Pame people. They received their land back.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Currently the Pame are either migrant workers or they try to eke out an existence growing maize, beans and squash on their rocky soil. They have always excelled at surviving with very little. For part of the year, they are migrant workers who earn a modest income.
Men do the farm work and carpentry while the women weave, cook and care for children. At age six sons begin to work with their fathers while daughters start learning household duties from their mothers. Daughters stay close to their mothers until they marry, at which time they join their husband’s family. Pame have nuclear families.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Though they get married in a Catholic church and attend mass, the Pame traditional religion blends with Catholicism. They use the same word for their god of the sun as the Catholics use for God the Father. They associate the Virgin Mary with their moon goddess. Their theology involves witches, spirits of the dead and gods.

What Are Their Needs?

The Pame people need to put Jesus Christ at the center of their lives and their worship. There is no room at the empty tomb for fear of dead spirits or gods.

Prayer Points

Pray for the Holy Spirit to call Pame people to place Jesus at the center of their lives and receive his abundant life.
Pray for Pame who love the Lord to disciple others who will in turn make even more disciples.
Pray for the Pame to hunger for spiritual truth and find it in the Lord of lords.