Welcome to our Uaymitun 2017 Blog!
This post will cover some different ground than previous posts, plus some common themes!
I’m going to start this blog post with a bit of historical research, so bear with me!
Finding a small sign on a nearby beach house gatepost started me wondering…
Based on information found on Wikipedia, with some liberal translation, I found out a little of the modern historical background of the area we know as Uaymitun:
- In the middle of 19th century, was known for fishing, ranching and salt reclaimation, named “Guaymitún”.
- Between 1878 and 1881 its growth allowed it to be included in the municipality of Progreso.
- In 1902, it is recorded that the ranch was dedicated to the cultivation of coconut trees.
- In 1960, it had a population of 14, 8 men and 6 women
Another document, http://www.mayas.uady.mx/articulos/rescate.html , found in my search, described an archaeological dig in which the bones of a number of people were found on Rancho Uaymitún. The results of the excavation and examination includes the following:
Everything indicates that the individuals of Uaymitún died when contracting an infectious contagious disease. The chronology of burials is consistent with the yellow fever outbreak known between October and December 1908, and was reported officially on a Yaqui pawn at the Uaymitún ranch, which belonged to Mr. José Rosado (Padilla , 1995: 146). However, we do not have information to know if the other ranch workers were affected or not, since they were not included in the Padilla study. It should be noted that Mr. Rosado was the owner of the Uaymitún ranch between 1906 and 1912, as stated in the deed of sale on June 3, 1912 (ANY 1912, f.165-173).
We do not rule out that yellow fever (commonly known as “vomito prieto” or “black vomit”) reported on the ranch probably has infected other pawns becoming an epidemic problem, since unhealthy conditions in the region were conducive to proliferation Of the Aedes aegypti mosquito that is the main transmitter of the disease (Padilla 1995: 142-143)
Through the bone analysis three groups with morphological differences could be seen, this fact seems to support the population movements towards the Yucatecan henequen farms and the ranchos, from the interior of the country and even of the foreigner since there was a necessity to hire manpower of low cost. A large number of examples of individuals and families have been reported to be brought in to work on Yucatecan haciendas, not only in the interior of the country as Yaquis and Huascas, but sometimes as foreigners as Koreans. A clear example is the one mentioned in the journalistic note in The Magazine of Mérida that says: “… (In) … The national vapor Yucatan that anchoring lately came Yaqui families whose total was 209 individuals among women, elderly and children. These Yaqui families were destined to work on the farms in our state … “(November 6, 1900).
When I researched the Yaqui people, I found that they were forcibly exiled from the Sonora region of NW Mexico due to political unrest and attempts for self rule by the Yaqui people. Many of them ended up on haciendas and ranches in the Yucatán!
While it may sound like we spend a lot of time enjoying the different foods down here… it’s actually true!
When the Norte winds were blowing the other night, we went into Mérida, met up with Bob & Pat and took in a free Jazz concert in Santa Ana Park.
The first act was the Edmar Castañeda Trio… a drummer, a saxophone player and the leader, Edmar, who played the harp! We’ve never heard anyone play a harp like him… was incredible!
Well, that’s it for this post!
Cheers from Uaymitun, MX!
-doug and elaine