It started years ago when our friend Micah created a connection with the Raramuri people (known to the outside world as the Tarahumara) and with a large community of good-willed runners we met, bonded, and became family, in the magnificent Copper Canyons of Mexico.

Micah left the world in 2012, and a group of us worked hard at keeping that connection and expanding it. We ran together with our Raramuri friends and used every occasion we had to bring down some goods, some help and some financial resources, which was much appreciated.

Over the years, though, we saw the limits of this model and we wanted to have means to be present in other ways, to genuinely contribute to the community and to show our friends that our involvement was based in respect and, most of all, in equality. Kuira Ba, the famous Raramuri saying, means “We are one”, after all, and serves as a reminder that we must not act as an interference in the Barrancas, but as a force of collaboration.

After giving it much thought, we met with our Raramuri friends and we decided, together, that we would try something new. We would work together, as equals, in creating a better outlook for the traditional Raramuri communities. We, the outsiders, would participate in this relationship not as leaders, but as collaborators, humble helpers, and supporting facilitators. Our friends would contribute some of the ideas and be the driving force and primary suppliers behind many of the products we create. We would all go at this from the same angle, with the same goals. We would create a project of empowerment of Raramuri culture, an eco-business, a company that promotes and celebrates the healthy foods of an ancient, knowledgeable culture of endurance.

We created Mas Korima.

We are a company that crosses cultures and desires to bridge our unique worlds. We are a new collaboration that aims at supporting the Raramuri people to meet the unavoidable, incoming “modernity” on their own terms, an environment where they are making their own choices, and using their traditional ways and knowledge while realizing the world needs their wisdom and heritage. We are using the mechanics of consumer merchandising to bring a fantastic, wholesome, healthy product to the world while bringing some wealth, benefits and cultural empowerment to the Raramuri People of Northwest Mexico.

We know that there will be many challenges, mistakes, and learnings along the way, but we will act fast to remedy them, and are committed to always doing our best. Between the physical and cultural distance that we need to take into account and the crucial importance of approaching our company evolution at a safe, manageable rate, we must create a frame of reference outside of standard business models and most importantly, always consider the human aspect. And that is one of the most exciting things we, the multi-cultural team behind Mas Korima but also the community of endurance athletes and enthusiasts that is our main clientele (our Family), will get to experience. Together.

Mas Korima will launch our online store (maskorima.com) later next week and make available two of our first three Heritage Pinole and Chia based Endurance Athlete Fuels. We will try to put together some incentives here early on in hopes that you give our offerings a try. Also, please sign up for our Newsletter (button to the right) to keep up with all the goings-on around Mas Korima. Our first one will go out within a couple of weeks. As always, thanks most kindly. Fun stuff ahead.