Town 25 km northwest of Múzquiz
Home of the Mascogos, descendants of Black Seminoles who fled U.S. slavery in 1850, at the springs of the Río Sabinas.
El Nacimiento is a small farming community about 32 kilometers from Múzquiz, in the Santa Rosa valley where the Río Sabinas is born from springs at the foot of the sierra. It is the home of the Negros Mascogos, an Afro-descendant people whose ancestors escaped slavery in the southern United States and lived for a time among the Seminoles. In July 1850, led by John Horse (Juan Caballo) and alongside the Seminole chief Wild Cat and a group of Kickapoo, they crossed the Río Bravo near present-day Piedras Negras. Mexico had abolished slavery, and the government gave them land in exchange for defending the frontier against Comanche and Apache raids.
Today a few hundred people here identify as Mascogo. They keep their own foods, such as corn breads, sweet potato bread and squash empanadas, their own prayers and songs, and an herbal-medicine tradition. Every June 19 they celebrate their emancipation with a horseback ride, prayers and a communal meal, and on some weekends families sell herbal remedies and home cooking.
Nearby, on a separate tract also called El Nacimiento, lives the Kickapoo tribe, who keep their ceremonies private and do not receive tourists; please respect that.
What to see and do
Time your visit for June 19, when the Mascogos celebrate their emancipation with a horseback ride, prayers and a shared meal.
Buy herbal remedies made by Mascogo women; the Mamá Guechu herbal workshop sells its products in Múzquiz too.
Try Mascogo cooking, such as corn bread, sweet potato bread and squash empanadas, when families offer it on weekends.
Before or after, see the rooms on the Mascogos and Kickapoo in the Museo Histórico de Múzquiz.
Getting there
El Nacimiento is about 32 kilometers northwest of Múzquiz by rural roads; there is no regular public transport, so you need a car or a local driver. This is a living village, not a park: ask the municipal tourism office in Múzquiz about open events, go with someone who knows the community, and ask before taking photos. The neighboring Kickapoo lands are closed to visitors.
25 km northwest of Múzquiz
Directions from Múzquiz on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather warm
El Nacimiento de los Negros Mascogos shares the climate of Múzquiz, 25 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov.
Make Múzquiz your base
El Nacimiento de los Negros Mascogos is an easy trip from Múzquiz, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.