The Hummingbird's Daughter

The Hummingbird’s Daughter focuses on the tensions between Indigenous peoples and the colonizer culture that is embedded in Mexico’s government and its religious institutions. While the government seeks to erase Indigenous people from the landscape of the nation, the Catholic Church is more adaptable to uniting its own beliefs with that of Indigenous people. The Indigenous groups of The Hummingbird’s Daughter adopt Catholic beliefs while still holding Indigenous independence and spirituality close. This dynamic can be observed in the Yaquis who attack Cabora. As the narrative states, “Aguirre stood beside a big overstuffed chair, stacked carefully in it were all the crosses and crucifixes gathered from the main house. The family Bible and a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe nestled there, along with a small statue of Saint Francis” (157). The Yaquis that attack the ranch do so because they believe that there is war between them and the Yoris, as attacks by the government have become more frequent. Despite their actions to protect their independence and community, they take the time to preserve the ranch’s Catholic iconography, demonstrating that the Catholic faith is now an important part of their own cultural identity as well.