La Huerta
The southernmost of the Kumiai communities, located on the eastern edge of the great Ojos Negros Valley and at the base of the Sierra Juarez, this community's 6268 hectares include fertile soil and plentiful springs, giving it rich agricultural potential, as it's name La Huerta "The Orchard" suggests. In the past, when indigenous groups were more mobile, the site of La Huerta represented an important encampment in the yearly migration from the coast up to the mountains. Many Huerteños also remember the tradition of cultural and economic exchange with the Cucapa who came up from the Colorado River delta region every summer, creating a link with other groups of the Colorado River region and beyond.
Currently several small family orchards exist, however most residents' subsistence strategies revolve around livestock ranching or otherwise working as day laborers on neighboring ranches or in the agricultural fields of the Ojos Negros Valley. Some residents also gather local natural resources such as herbs, jojoba, and wildflower seeds for sale to Mexican or US intermediaries. As with other indigenous communities, many traditional foods, (such as pine nuts and acorns) have for the most part become inaccessible to Huerteños. The traditional gathering areas have become the property of neighboring ejidos, and even when ejidatarios grant permission to collect, government regulations make it practically impossible for rural Indians to acquire the expensive permits necessary to gather legally.
Although the community has several springs and a major water source (El Barbon River), water distribution systems for purposes of both domestic use and irrigation are inadequate and poor water quality is a persistent problem. Existing water infrastructure (pipes, collection wells) is badly in need of repair and needs to be expanded to meet the needs of the growing community. Residents report a worsening situation, with water visibly "full of dirt.' This same water is currently used for both drinking and irrigation. An unfinished Rotary Club "fish pond" project has also affected the water situation, and the general viability of the project remains to be proven.
Erosion has affected many parts of the community, possibly due to extensive grazing both within the community as well as further upstream in the same watershed. Logging and other activities upstream in the watershed may also be factors.
Parts of La Huerta's land base, and particularly a sacred site including a hot springs are threatened by encroachment from neighboring ejidos.