Mexica Movement [karttunen]

[David Becraft]

Thank you for your comments.  I agree that this paper barely scratches at 
the issue of Indigenous identity, and while I emphasized and focused on the 
Mexica identity, I acknowledge that other non-mexica groups do not fall 
under this category.  The reason for this is obvious, by categorizing 
Indigenous people as Latin and Hispanic, a denial of their indigenous 
heritage is set forth.  In the same sense, categorizing non-mexica 
Aboriginies into a Mexica category would be to follow the same methods as 
the colonialist government of the U.S.A.
Indeed, the Otomangue, Maya and other ethnic groups that fall under the 
Latino and Hispanic label would also NOT fall under the Mexica label.  The 
emphasis on this paper is that Indigenous people colonized by the Spaniards 
are NOT Latino, and are NOT Hispanic, nor are they Mestizo [we are all 
mestizo]; there is no such thing as a "pure blood".

Thank you for you attention,

Pancho Becraft





>From: Frances Karttunen <karttu at NANTUCKET.NET>
>Reply-To: Nahua language and culture discussion <NAHUAT-L at LISTS.UMN.EDU>
>To: NAHUAT-L at LISTS.UMN.EDU
>Subject: Re: Mexica Movement
>Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2006 07:32:52 -0400
>
>I certainly agree with many points in your paper, but I also think your 
>bibliography needs expansion, and the place to start would be with James 
>Lockhart's big book, The Nahuas After the Conquest.
>
>While the movement you describe has obvious appeal to many people of 
>Mexican heritage in both the USA and Mexico, I have wondered about the 
>single-minded focus on the Uto-Aztecan peoples and in particular the 
>Aztecs.  Doesn't this disenfranchise (yet again) the many other indigenous 
>peoples of Mexico?  How can the Mixtec farm workers up and down the west 
>coast of the USA and those of various Mayan ethnic groups resident in 
>Florida, to cite but two examples, relate to a Mexica movement?
>
>As for the million or so Nahuatl-speaking people of today, isn't 
>appropriating their name and aspects of their language-and-culture complex 
>also an act of cultural imperialism imposed on them by people they don't 
>recognize as fellow macehualtin/nahuatlatohqueh?
>
>Also, it seems that you are equating "Mexican" and "Central American" in 
>your paper, but most people use "Central America" to refer to the countries 
>south of Mexico through Panama. The term "Meso-America"--while literally 
>meaning the same thing--has been used for a long time to refer to the 
>well-defined culture area ranging from northern Mexico through El Salvador 
>and Nicaragua.  Within this ancient area, into which the Nahuah were late 
>arrivals, there are many unrelated indigenous languages but many shared 
>cultural features.
>
>Frances Karttunen
>
>
>On Apr 14, 2006, at 7:15 PM, David Becraft wrote:
>
>>I just finished a research paper for my Anthropology 301 class with Dr. 
>>Anne Chambers of Southern Oregon University.  Please review it and 
>>critique it at:
>>http://panchobecraft.blogspot.com/
>>