The Hummingbird's Daughter

The Governor of Sonora, Don Lauro Corillo, conspires to steal sacred paintings from Tomóchic to give to President Díaz’s wife as a means of solidifying his power and status in the government. He enlists the help of Padre Gastélum, but when the priest arrives in Tomóchic, he is enraged to see a statue of Teresita. Before his sermon, he bribes the jefe politico to steal the paintings while he preaches. Cruz later writes a letter to Teresita recounting the theft; he explains that Gastélum preached a sermon accusing Teresita of being Satan. Cruz recounts that he debated with the man over Teresita’s virtue. After the sermon, the paintings were gone. In Teresita’s response to Cruz’s letter, she expresses sadness and mentions the dangers that surround both her and Cruz. Cruz takes this to mean that she is in immediate danger and calls for a holy war.

One day, Segundo realizes that the crowd’s mood reflects that of Teresita. On this particular day, they are both nervous. Soon, Rurales arrive. They beat a man in the crowd and shoot another in the back. Captain Enríquez comes to Tomás and tells him the two men were rebels. He introduces Tomás to a “bandit” they met on the road. The “bandit” is Tomás’s son, Juan Francisco, who is now tied to the Rurales’ horse. Enríquez frees the boy but warns Tomás that unless the religious fanaticism on the ranch ends, he will return with bullets to end it himself. Tomás takes Segundo’s gun and confronts Teresita, begging her to end the pilgrimage. He puts the gun to her head but shoots the wall instead. They cry and hold each other. At dinner, snipers start shooting into the house. However, Tomás and Teresita continue to eat calmly, and Tomás realizes what he must do.

Reports from Captain Enríquez, Padre Gastélum, and Governor Corillo convince President Díaz to send 100 armed men to Cabora to stop this so-called “revolution.” The Tigers, following Cruz, come down from the mountains and hide on the road to ambush the army. When Tomás hears the men coming, he locks Teresita in her room and arms everyone he trusts. Enríquez, who is now a major, arrives with his 100 men and places Teresita and Tomás under house arrest. The next day, Enríquez returns, accusing Teresita of conspiring with the rebels. He wants to take her away. Tomás warns Enríquez that if he wants Teresita, he will have to kill the entire family to get to her. Tomás challenges him by giving him the keys to Teresita’s room. Enríquez withdraws and promises Tomás two or three hours of lead time before he returns again.

Tomás and Teresita prepare to flee. They will go first to Aquihuiquichi and then eventually to Aguirre in El Paso; he will shelter Teresita. They say their goodbyes to the family, and Tomás promises Gabriela that he will send for her soon. He leaves Buenaventura and Juan Francisco in charge, hoping that the two will be able to coexist. As Tomás and Teresita make their way out of the ranch, the pilgrims reach for Teresita and call to her, hoping that she will one day return. Once she is off the ranch, the crowds disperse and go home. Word spreads that she is either gone or dead.

The Tigers wait for the army on the road. As the pilgrims disband, a group of soldiers picks up Teresita’s trail and begins pursuit. On the road, another group of soldiers encounters women dressed in black. The women do not respond to any of their calls and suddenly begin firing upon the soldiers. These women are the Tigers. In the crossfire, Cruz’s older brother is wounded. The Tigers carry him to Cabora in hopes that Teresita’s healing hands can save him.

Tomás and Teresita reach Aquihuiquichi and take a brief rest. Soon, however, the pursuing soldiers arrive and offer them the choice to die at Aquihuiquichi or in prison. When Tomás and Teresita surrender, the soldiers begin beating them until someone reminds them that Tomás is a friend of Enríquez.

Cruz and his men arrive at Cabora and see the destruction of the ranch. They are told that Teresita is gone. They weep and leave Cruz’s brother at the ranch. When the cavalry returns to the ranch, they hang him from a tree.

Meanwhile, Teresita is visited in her cell by General Bandála, who intends to rape her. However, he desists when she shames him harshly for his thoughts and actions. He orders them to keep moving toward the prison at Guaymas.

Teresita and Tomás arrive at the prison. Teresita is put into a filthy cell. For weeks, she suffers the ravages of vermin, starvation, and dehydration. She is harassed and assaulted by the guards and eventually develops a fever so strong that she hallucinates. In her visions, she sees Indigenous people in the sky, coming toward the prison. She knows that she can kill her tormentors with little more than a wave of her hand, but she refrains. One night, Cruz appears to her and shows her a vision of the army burning Tomóchic and killing its residents, including him. He tells her that he is doomed but that her avengers are coming and gathering in the hills.

One morning, Tomás and Teresita are taken from their cells and loaded into a wagon. Both suspect that they are on their way to a firing squad, but no one will answer their questions. They arrive at a train station in the city and are led to the platform. There, Enríquez, who is once again a lieutenant after being demoted over the mess at Cabora, tells them that they are not there to die. He reads their crimes against the government and states that although they qualify for a death sentence, President Díaz is generously commuting the sentence and deporting them to the US. In their shock, Tomás laments the loss of his ranch and family, and Teresita faints.

A Pima man named Martínez and some of his followers hide in the distance and watch the train. They realize that their best chance to liberate Teresita will come on her journey to the US. Meanwhile, on the platform, men carry the unconscious Teresita onto the train, and Tomás does his best to wash the filth from her. Before the train departs, Enríquez tells Tomás that the train is filled with civilians, including his own family, all by presidential decree. Tomás realizes that President Díaz will not kill Teresita and make a martyr of her; instead, he hopes that her supporters will attack the train in an effort to save her and she will be killed in the ensuing mayhem.

Huila appears to Teresita in a dream and shows her a sky filled with stars, each of which is a globe containing a possible life for Teresita based on her choices. Huila tells Teresita that she must learn to choose her own path. Before Teresita wakes, she sees her supporters lying in ambush near the tracks. Awakening from this dream, Teresita convinces Enríquez to stop the train in Ambush Canyon and bring her onto the open platform so that she can address her supporters. She begs him to keep his men from shooting and promises him that her supporters will not attack.

Martínez and others wait for the train in Ambush Canyon. When it appears and stops, they see Teresita on the platform. She calls to them, telling them to do no violence. She also asserts that she is choosing to leave of her own free will. As the train leaves the canyon, her supporters line the tracks and cheer her name. As the train heads out of the canyon and into the night, she and Tomás see Buenaventura among the people.