Mata Ortiz is a small village in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, less than 100 miles from the Unite States/Mexican border. The community, population 2,000, is one of several in a wide, fertile valley long inhabited by indigenous people. Mata Ortiz is located at the base of a mountain known as El Indio and on the west bank of the Rio Palanganas, a tributary of the Rio Casas Grandes. The ancient ruins of Casas Grandes are located nearby.