A BRIEF HISTORY OF SONORA (Vers. April 2, 2016) © Richard C. Brusca The origin of the name “Sonora” is NOTE: Being but a brief overview, this essay cannot unclear. The first record of the name is probably do justice to Sonora’s long and colorful history, but it that of explorer Francisco Vásquez de hopefully provides a condensed introduction to this Coronado, who passed through the region in marvelous state. Readers with a serious interest in 1540 and called part of the area the Valle de La Sonora should consult the fine histories and Sonora. Francisco de Ibarra also traveled geographies of the region, many of which are cited in through the area in 1567 and referred to the the References section. The topic of Spanish colonial history has a rich literature, in particular, and no Valles de la Señora. attempt has been made to include all of those Four major river systems occur in the state citations in the References (although the most targeted and comprehensive treatments are of Sonora, to empty into the Sea of Cortez: the included). All photographs by R.C. Brusca, unless Río Colorado, Río Yaqui, Río Mayo, and otherwise noted. This is a draft chapter for a planned massive Río Fuerte. Several smaller rivers book on the Sea of Cortez; the most current version originate almost entirely within the state, of this draft can be downloaded at including the Río Sonoyta, Río Magdalena-Altar- http://rickbrusca.com/http___www.rickbrusca.com_ind Asunción-Concepción, Río San Miguel, Rio ex.html/Sea_of_Cortez.html Zanion, and Río Sonora, and these also once (at least intermittently) emptied into the Gulf of For many reasons, Sonora has historically been California although they no longer do. The rather isolated from the rest of Mexico. It is the headwaters of the San Pedro River also farthest state from Mexico City and long viewed originate in Sonora, but the river flows by the country’s strong central government as a northward, crossing into the U.S. as one the last “frontier region” or, worse, a dry desert remaining undammed rivers in Arizona. The wasteland. Its colonial history is not as deep or Santa Cruz River originates in Arizona, flows rich as that of central-southern Mexico, and its South into Sonora, and then turns North again to archeological past lacks remains of the great re-enter the U.S. at Nogales, eventually running civilizations from the south (Aztecs, Mayas, all the way to the Gila River in central Arizona. Toltecs, etc.). Even today, many Sonorans feel the government of Mexico City largely ignores The eastern part of the state comprises their presence. In fact, until the completion of the western slopes of the Sierra Madre the “Yécora Highway” (Mex Hwy 16) in 1992, Occidental range—part of the great North Sonora was even largely isolated from its American Cordillera. The highest elevations are neighbor state of Chihuahua. For these in the Sierra de los Ajos and Sierra San Luis in reasons, and because of the state’s location on northeastern Sonora. In addition to the Sierra the border with the U.S., cultural and economic Madre range, about 35 high isolated ranges ties often seem stronger between Sonora and (often called Sky Islands) are found west of the Arizona than between Sonora and Mexico City Sierra Madre in the northern half of the state (despite the recent construction of the much- (and another 33 Sky Island ranges occur in despised border fence). southeastern Arizona/southwestern New Mexico). The six highest mountains in the state LAND AND BIOTIC DIVERSITY are Cerro Pico Guacamayas (2625 m), Sierra Los Ajos (2620 m), Sierra San José (2540 m), 2 The State of Sonora encompasses 69,249 mi Sierra La Charola (2520 m), Sierra San Luis 2 (179,355 km ), making it the second largest of (2520 m), and Sierra La Mariquita (2500 m). Mexico’s 31 states (not including the Federal District). Located west of Chihuahua (Mexico’s Sonora encompasses a biological largest state), Sonora shares its northern border transition zone, with tropical ecosystems in the almost exclusively with Arizona, and it is south, subtropical deserts in the north, and topographically, ecologically, and biologically montane transitions in the sierras. The northern diverse. It is the most common gateway state limit of Mexico’s Tropical Deciduous (Dry) Forest for visitors to the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of and Sinaloan Thornscrub lies near the center of California). Its population is about three million. the state, whereas some of the most arid desert regions of North America occur in the northwest, in the Gran Desierto de Altar. This topographic The Pinacate area of northwest Sonora is and climatological mix makes Sonora one of the unique for being home to North America’s most biologically diverse regions of the world. second largest lava flow region (the Snake River An estimated 5,000 species of vascular plants Plain basalt fields of Idaho are slightly larger) are reported from Sonora—20% of Mexico’s and its largest active sand dune field, the latter total flora, in an area of less than 10% of the running northwestward from just north of Puerto country. Peñasco (Sonora) to Yuma (Arizona). The dune field embraces the western slopes of the Sierra In general, precipitation in Sonora Pinacate, and it completely surrounds the decreases from higher to lower elevations, from isolated granitic Sierra del Rosario (probably the south to north, and from east to west. In the westernmost Basin-and-Range mountain in pine-oak forests around Yécora (1550 m; 5085 North America). This 5700 km2 (2200 mi2) dune ft) average annual precipitation exceeds 90 cm field is estimated to have developed during and (35.5 inches), and in the tropical deciduous following the last Glacial Maximum (~20,000 forests near Alamos (440 m; 1444 ft) it is around years ago). The dunes were built almost entirely 65 cm (26 in). However, in the volcanic desert from wind-transported Colorado River deltaic of the Pinacate region in northwestern Sonora, sands piled up over the centuries from prevailing average annual precipitation is less than 25 cm Westerlies. Thus, these dunes are largely the (9 in) per year, and in the extremely arid Gran eroded rocks of the Grand Canyon! East of the Desierto de Altar (near the lowermost Río Pinacates, along Hwy 8 between the town of Colorado) average annual precipitation is just 4- Sonoyta and the entrance to the Pinacate 7.5 cm (1.5-3.0 in) per year. During summer Biosphere Reserve, is a field of ancient, months, temperatures exceeding 38°C (100°F) stabilized dunes. These are much older dunes, are common in the Gran Desierto, and the high perhaps hundreds of thousands of years in age, summer air temperatures here drive up but their origin is unclear. evapotranspiration (i.e., loss of water from plant leaves and soil). Historically, the highest temperature recorded for anywhere in northwestern Mexico was 56.7°C (134°F) in the Sierra Blanca of the Pinacate region (near where the El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve’s visitor center is today). In spring and fall, rain is infrequent at best, although occasional tropical storms do reach Sonora in the fall. Summer temperature extremes are mitigated by rains, called monsoons (or las aguas—the waters), characterized by strong afternoon thunderstorms. Less violent winter storms, called equipatas, are derived from Pacific frontal storms with ultimate origins as far north as Alaska. (The name equipatas comes from the Yaqui language and literally means “gentle winter rains.”) This biannual rainfall pattern is a key reason that the Sonoran Desert has one of the highest biological diversities in the world. Almost all of the summer and fall moisture comes from the Sea of Cortez and adjacent tropical Pacific Ocean that border the Sonoran Desert, thus making this a maritime desert. The traditional start of the monsoons (las aguas) is June 24, Saint John the Baptist’s Day, or el Día Pillowed pahoehoe lava, Pinacates de San Juan. Saint John, who baptized Jesus in Topographically and demographically, the the River Jordan, is celebrated in many ways State of Sonora can be thought of as having two throughout the Catholic world. great regions, with different geological and cultural histories (see West 1993). The eastern 2 mountain region, called La Serrana (the important food sources, and are still collected highland), comprises the western slopes and and consumed by the Seri People (Comcáac) foothills of the Sierra Madre Occidental. It was and others, as well as being enjoyed as originally inhabited by Native American delicacies by modern Sonorans. (indigenous) hunters and gatherers, later by indigenous farmers, and then in the 17th and The introduction of corn (Zea mays), 18th centuries by Jesuit missionaries and which was first domesticated in south-central Spanish and mestizo miners and ranchers. Mexico, into Sonora and the American Today it is losing population because its younger Southwest is usually attributed to Uto-Aztecan- generation is moving to the cities, and it has speaking groups who spread throughout much become major marijuana and heroine-poppy of the region between 3000 and 1000 B.C. A growing areas and is confronting narcotrafficking popular hypothesis suggests that the timing of as drugs move north to the U.S. The Western the dispersal is likely related to environmental Lowland, on the other hand, was originally only conditions following the end of the warm and dry sparsely populated by indigenous people. In the Altithermal Period (middle Holocene), as Uto- late 18th century, the lowlands were exploited by Aztecans descended from refugia in the Sierra Spanish and Indian/mestizo gold seekers.