In this book photographer Miguel Gandert records the sacred rituals and dances of the mestizo peoples of the upper Río Grande in 130 black-and-white photographs. Included are images of the two great Indo-Hispano regional traditions, the Matachines conquest dance drama, complete with monsters and bull, and the multifaceted Comanches celebration, with its equestrian victory play and boisterous dances.
Miguel Gandert has been photographing the social rituals, people, and landscapes of his native New Mexico for twenty years. His photographs have been exhibited widely in museums and galleries throughout the world, including the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. He is an associate professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism at the University of New Mexico.