Boundary Waters Between Mexico and the U.S.

The purpose of my Tinker field research project was to conduct archival research relating to the political-ecological dimensions of the US-Mexico border. Specifically, I researched "Compaña Nacional Contra la Garrapata," an effort to eradicate Cattle Fever Tick in Mexico, and the Presa Falcón, the lowest dam on the Rio Grande. The cattle fever tick research took place primarily at the Archivo General de la Nación, while the Presa Falcón research took place at CONAGUA (Archivo Histórico y Biblioteca Central del Agua) and the Archivo Histórica Genaro Estrada of the Secretario de Relaciones Exteriores. The cattle fever tick research built on previous research at the Texas State Archives and a paper based on the research will be presented this fall at the Workshop on the History of Environment, Agriculture, Technology and Science at UC-Riverside. The major lesson I learned regarding field research was that everything works out! As long as you have the documentation of your purpose and credentials in order—and, it turns out, even when you don't—getting access to the archives is straightforward, the security guards are friendly, and the archivists are helpful.