Between rails and whistles: The Yaquis, crime and the railroad during the Porfiriato

Abstract

In this article we aim to detect and highlight the involvement of different members of indigenous peoples regarding the crime rates during the Porfiriato in Sonora, particularly those members of the Yaqui group. In particular, we are interested in addressing how, at the end of the 19th Century, the introduction of rail lines throughout this entity led to a large migratory movement from which the indigenous people were not exempt, and even less so the Yaquis, who were engaged in war against the Mexican State in defense of their territory. As the railroad became the new form of transport, along with it came accidents that were often typified as crimes, thus generating a large body of documentation; the said documentation is
currently preserved at the House of Legal Culture of Hermosillo, which is the main source of research with regard to this paper.