From Online Research to Meeting in Person: Uárhukua Ch’anakua in Morelia

As part of her Mexico book tour, author and illustrator Laura Elena Rodríguez Garcidueñas traveled to Morelia to meet players of Uárhukua Chanakua, the traditional Purépecha ballgame.

The connection had actually begun much earlier, while Laura was researching Juego de Pelota: Descubre sus secretos con La Catrina Bohemia. For the Uárhukua Chanakua section, she watched many videos and looked through photographs to understand the movements and technique of the game. One of the videos featured Tzihueri, and some of those images became references for the silhouettes and movements in her illustration.

Laura later contacted Tzihueri to ask questions and learn more about the game. She did not realize at the time that he was the same player she had used as a reference for her drawings. It was only later, when she looked back through her sketches and research material, that she made the connection.

As her research continued, she also discovered videos featuring other members of his family, including his father. Then, in Morelia, she finally had the opportunity to meet the Silva Bedolla family in person, including Tzihueri.

Seeing Uárhukua Chanakua played in person was very different from watching it through a screen. Laura was able to witness the ceremony, observe it up close, and participate when she was invited to do so.

Another special moment came when Dr. Bedolla took the time to show Laura how to blow the conch shell and explained its importance in ceremonies. For someone researching these traditions for a book, being able to learn directly from the people who practice them was an experience that went far beyond photographs and written sources.

The family also gave Laura a clay jar from Huáncito, Michoacán, as an offering, explaining that it was their way of thanking her for her work and for helping share their tradition through her book. Laura received it with great respect and humility.

Another special part of the day was sharing bread and chocolate prepared with water. Sharing together around food, Laura experienced the sense of closeness and community that surrounded the game.

She was also struck by the honesty, respect, and brotherhood among the players—something that became just as important to her as seeing the game itself.

For Laura, this meeting brought together different parts of the journey behind Juego de Pelota: a video found online, a silhouette used in an illustration, questions sent to a player, and finally a meeting in Morelia with the people and family behind the tradition.

Sometimes, while researching a book, you don’t realize where a single reference will lead you. In this case, it led Laura from a screen in Prague to a real encounter in Morelia.