Santa Catarina

Santa Catarina is a municipal seat of only about two hundred people, tucked 840 metres up among the hills of the Sierra Gorda as they spill north out of Querétaro. Its municipality, bounded by the Verde river to the north and the Santa María river along the Querétaro border, holds the largest Pame population in San Luis Potosí: more than half its people speak an Indigenous language, nearly always Pame. They call themselves Xi'úi and find the word "Pame" disrespectful.

The village was founded three times. In January 1606 Captain Gabriel Ortiz de Fuenmayor granted the local people three leagues of land in each direction, freedom from tribute and the right to ride horses and bear arms. Friar Juan de Cárdenas set up a mission in 1607, but at the spot later called Santa Elena. On July 1, 1617 Friar Juan Bautista de Mollinedo took possession of a church and friary on the present site and dedicated it to Saint Catherine the Martyr. By 1693 it had a church of lime and stone. After Independence the place was all but forgotten until it became a municipal seat in 1876. In 1910 four hundred rebels led by Magdaleno Cedillo tried to seize the Santa Catarina hacienda and were driven off.

The climate is warm and fairly humid with summer rain, and dry tropical forest of ebony and chijol covers almost the whole municipality. Families weave baskets, bread trays, shoulder bags and fire fans, and carve grinding stones from black volcanic rock. Typical dishes are steamed kid goat, picadillo and pork asado, with capirotada or candied chilacayote squash for dessert.