How do you define the place you call home? Some people call a place home because that is where they grew up with family and friends who still remain. Others define home as the place they searched for and finally found because their heart sighed, and the long awaited sense of peace and security was discovered. For Jim Barnaby, or Santiago meaning Saint James as he is known among his adopted family, home is defined by a place nestled just outside the hustle and bustle of human activity where he can explore new realities every time he lingers, where people are creating beautiful art out of the materials at hand.

As a free-spirit child of the 60’s, Jim has traveled between the United States and Mexico for the past 30 years, making a living as a guide through the Copper Canyon since 1978. Jim’s spiritual quest led him to a remote village in Central Mesoamerica, which enabled him to create a bond with the villagers who embrace a simple philosophy of life. Jim and the villagers recognize that we share the earth with all living creatures and only when we calm our own spirits, can we fully connect with all living things. This philosophy has enabled many peoples in Mexico to develop a lifestyle that creates a working relationship with the land and all that it produces, developing a market for many of the foods we consume on a daily basis.

The indigenous peoples of Mexico form the foundation of Mexican society. According to the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples and the I.N.E.G.I., the official census institute, there are 10.1 million indigent people in Mexico, which constitutes 9.8% of the population of the country. Among these tribes, 62 indigenous languages with the same validity as Spanish are spoken. However, many of these languages are unintelligible among the tribes, leading to many unique cultural differences. The 2nd article of their constitution, giving the indigenous tribes the right to decide the internal forms of social, economic, political, and cultural organization, to apply their own systems of regulations as long as human rights and gender equality are respected, protects their social order. These tribes also have the right to preserve and enrich their languages and culture, and to elect representatives before the municipal council in which the territories are located. The tribes Jim call family operate within a system in which the majority rules in a government communal.

The explorations Jim enjoys among the tribes of Mexico has given him the opportunity to discover a wide variety of art forms created from grasses, woods, and other materials shaped into functional designs used by the people, and shared at the local Farmers markets. Possessing three art degrees, and experiencing two years teaching a Montana State University has given Jim the wisdom to realize what matters most in his life. He has found a sense of fulfillment in supporting the efforts of these people to share their artistic talents in order to develop a school for their children. The Huimayvo School Project is supported financially through the efforts of Jim’s devotion to the sales of the functional art he has brought to Bozeman. Jim has taken time to teach pottery, learn techniques of organic gardening, and purchase the fabrics used to make traditional costumes for celebrations that honor their individual traditions. Jims’ efforts to support the local desire for education is a vital key to their growth since the economic underdevelopment of the country has not allowed for the social and cultural development of most indigenous communities in Mexico.

Looking over the plethora of functional art forms in Jim’s booth, it is easy to see that the materials, designs, patters, and colors stem from a variety of places in which Jim acquired the goods to be sold. Learning from their ancestors about the value of the land and all that it produces keeps the spirit of discovery alive. The ancient wisdom is applied to create new tools that support and enhance further development of their connection to this life. Circular baskets, bags, masks to protect and disguise, dolls, wooden platters and spoons, pottery, woven rugs, and his latest acquisition, herbal soap made in Chihuahua, are among the goods to be purchased at the Farmers Markets on Saturday morning and Tuesday evening.

Our own economic crisis has caused many in Montana to reconsider the idea of living closer to the land in order to provide for themselves and their families. Max Smith and 1000 New Gardens and an increase in the number of persons with a desire to learn to hunt and fish, according to Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department, are just a few indicators of this trend. Industrialization, while achieving exciting new advancements in our society, has also separated us from our roots that existed in our not so distant past. As Mexicans move from their tribal villages to the cities, they are not leaving their heritage behind, but instead take the skills they possess with them, establishing new businesses only they can create. Jims’ Huimayvo School will prepare the next generation for a life of prosperity in the new emerging market.

Sitting in Jims’ haven surrounded by plants and shrubs that produce edible, nutritious food, with our feet in front of the fireplace that warms the body and the soul, one can experience the sensation of being in the remote regions of Mexico. The beautiful, peaceful lives embraced by Jims’ adopted families can be experienced in his own demeanor as he describes the country and the artwork, slipping easily into the ancient language of the tribe.
The Huimayvo School Project booth, exclusively at Bozeman’s Farmers markets, run from early June to late September. Check out Jims’ website, coppercanyonguide.com, and consider the possibility of a vacation that will keep Jims’ dream alive.

Janice Aldrow is the author of The Art of Money Management, available online.