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Opata literally means “enemies” they used to be called by their neighbors, the Pimas.
Actually opatas are a tribe of Piman stock. Little is known about them, because their tribe extinguished more than a century ago.
They were the original inhabitants of most of Sonora, where the Sierra is located.
The opata language has a striking resemblance of the pimas. The pimas were always the traditional enemies of the opatas, maybe because opatas deserted them; also, the Mexican government allied with the opatas in many occasions to fight other tribes.
Many towns in the Sierra of Sonora have opata names, some of them are:
- Aconchi - "In the execution walls"
- Arizpe - "Place of the brave or red ants”
- Arivechi - San Javier de Arivechi - "Place of the skull"
- Bacadehuachi - San Luis de Bacadehuachi - "En la entrada del carrizo"
- Bacerac - "Where the water is seen”
- Bacoachi - Cuchibaciachi - "Water serpent"
- Banamichi - Banamitzi "Where the water turns”
- Baviacora – Babicori "The mint that grows in the river"
- Bavispe - "Were the river changes direction"
- Curcupe – “The Place Were The Dove Sings”
- Fronteras - Corodeguachi "Crane road"
- Huasabas- "Pasturelands"
- Huepac - "The Big Valley"
- Imuris - "Plain between rivers"
- Matape - Mazatan - Matapa - Villa Pesqueira "Place of deer"
- Moctezuma - "Place of lots of palo fierro"
- Tepache, Tepatzi, Tepachi - "Place of the beautiful women"
- Villa Hidalgo, Oputo - "Place of palo fierro".
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