Hidalgo de Parral, the commercial door to the Sierra Madre, is a special place blessed by a people so fiercely loyal that wherever they might be, they miss what they proudly call the "Capital of the World" or the "Center of the Universe".

Many people have been drawn by the riches of Chihuahua. For centuries, two hundred tribes of native Americans have inhabited this land. Perhaps most notable are the Raramuri, a people whose rich spiritual ideology and strong cultural identity have persevered despite the intrusion of foreign customs. While more warlike tribes such as the Apache were overwhelmed and assimilated, the passive resistance of the Raramuri protected their identity. Even today, the Raramuri manage to resist the culture of the chabochi (the Raramuri word for white people).

The first Spaniards who settled this territory needed great tenacity to cling to a harsh land and extract treasure from the mineral deposits in the mountains. They also needed great bravery to protect themselves against the sudden and fierce attacks of the Apaches, who felt that their liberty and their hunting activities were threatened.

From the union of these two brave races came the modern Chihuahuan people who, like the very land on which they live, do not seem to know the meaning of the term, "middle ground." Everything in Chihuahua is extreme: the magnificent scenery, the soaring mountains, the sheer cliffs, the plunging canyons, the cascading waterfalls, and the forbidding deserts. All of these combine to create a fitting stage for the stubbornness, tenacity, courage, and faith of the Chihuahuan people.

After a series of meetings and presentations to woodcrafters from Parral, Chihuahau, Mexico, AdventGX has officially launched the Parral Woodcraft Consortium, a Texas corporation that will provide marketing, manufacturing and distribution support for member manufacturers of handcrafted items such a picture frames, furniture, and various leather items to be distributed throughout the United States. The consortium will support regional economic and tourism development initiatives underway in Van Horn, TX as well as Parral, Mexico.