Sáric

Sáric is the seat of its municipality in the far north of Sonora, about 778 meters up in the upper valley of the Altar River, which rises in the Arizona mountains and runs south through the municipality. It had 706 residents in 2020. The name comes from the O'odham Ṣaʼalk, meaning "mountain pass." The municipality, created in 1934, borders Arizona to the north, and its largest settlement is not the seat but El Sásabe, right on the line.

Father Eusebio Kino founded the mission of Santa Gertrudis del Sáric here in 1690. It became a head mission, with outstations at Búsanic, Aquimuri and San Antonio de la Arizona, and a year later Kino founded Tubutama further down the river. Jesuits such as Juan Nentuig served here, followed by Franciscans until 1828. On the night of 20 November 1751 the Pima revolt began at Sáric: Luis Oacpicagigua, whom the governor had named captain general of the northern Pima, lured 18 settlers to his house and had them killed. The next day the uprising spread to Caborca, Pitiquito and Tubac. Luis of Sáric, as he is remembered, surrendered at Tubac on 18 March 1752 and died in prison at Horcasitas.

The desert soil is poor, so farming keeps to the river bottoms, with wheat, corn, alfalfa, sorghum and ryegrass, plus range cattle. The village had 643 people in 1900, fell to 271 by 1960 and reached 892 in 2010. Being close to the border has also brought violence: on 1 July 2010 a gunfight between two criminal groups on the road near the village left 21 dead.