Webster's dictionary defines mestizo as "a person of mixed blood; a person of mixed Spanish and Amerindian blood." It is necessary to understand this as many persons with Hispanic surnames have been mis-identified by the government and ignorant people as simply "Hispanics" or "Mexican." Actually, many such people are of Native-American-Spanish lineage.

Columbus landed in what is now known as Mexico and called it America. He called the native people there Indians. As time progressed, Cortez arrived from Spain, as did Coronado, Cabeza de Baca, Ornate-each carrying out conquests of the indigenous peoples in much of what is now Mexico.. In addition, they claimed as "New Spain" the vast majority of what we call the southwestern states, including California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and parts of Colorado.

The Spaniards followed the usual pattern of conquest, subjecting native women to pregnancy by rape, enslaving men, women and children as they traversed Mexico looking for the "Seven Cities of Gold" rumored to exist in the north. Along the way the Spaniards renamed native villages as Spanish pueblos and usually erected a church on the spot of the captured and destroyed village, forcing the natives under torture and fear to swear allegiance to Spain and the Church. While renaming villages, they renamed the native peoples with Spanish names. This became the common practice when native children were born and baptized with a Spanish, Christian name.

Some of the natives that the Spaniards took with them as slaves and guides in their quest escaped, for example, the Tlascalans who were taken in by the Zuni in New Mexico. All major cities throughout the southwestern states were named by the Spaniards before the U.S. gained control in the mid-1800s. Meanwhile, the Spaniards for the previous 300 years had been mixing with the natives.

In 1599, Don Juan Onate of Spain sent Vicente Zaldivar to avenge the killing of Zaldivar's brother, Juan de Zaldivar and his small detachment of soldiers who were sent to extort goods from the Acomas. Vicente Zaldivar and his soldiers killed hundreds of the Acoma; all remaining who did not escape were taken captive. Women over the age of 12 were sentenced to 20 years labor; the men were not only sentenced to 20 years labor, but also subject to having one foot chopped off so they would not run off. Young girls were given to the Church and the young boys were given to Zaldivar as a reward.

In 1680, theTaos Revolt by natives and mestizos (Mexicans) in Taos, New Mexico, was organized and led by Luis Tupato, Pope and Alonza Catiti. Some of the tribes participating in the revolt were the Tesque, Zia, Pokkwoge, Hopi, Picuris, Tua, Oke, Kiuwa. Retaliations by the Spaniards and Americans were extensive.

Prior to the Spaniards' arrival, the Tua (Taos Indians), Ute, Apache, and Comanche utilized the Tua village as a main trade center and mixed through marriage. After the 1680 revolt, they mixed with the Jircarilla Apache and moved to Scott County, Kansas, but were later brought back to Taos by the Spaniards. The Picuris (Pikuria) and the Taos Indians were descendants of the same ancestral family group which existed in 900 A.D. Many tribes of the Tiwa nation fled and commingled with various other tribes: Zuni, Navajo, Hopi, and Jemez.

In 1694 the Spaniard Diego de Vargas, with help from his allies, the Zia, Katishtya (San Felipe), and Tamaya (Santa Ana), attacked and destroyed the Jemez village. The Isleta (Tuei), took refuge with other Tiwa villages until 1681 when Governor Oterman, attempting to re-establish Spanish control, attacked several Tiwa villages and took hundreds of captives and resettled them south of El Paso at a place he called Isleta del Sur. The Sandia (Nafiat), and Kapo mixed with the Hopi after the 1680 revolt, as did the Kiowa (Santa Domingo). Some were moved to Acoma along with the Cochiti refugees and later established the Pueblo of Laguna. (Tanos Indians arrived later.)

In 1689 the Spanish Governor Domingo de Cruziate attacked and killed more than 600 natives at the Zia village, destroyed the village and sold captives into slavery. Those who escaped built a village near the Jemez, but later returned to Zia and remained loyal to the Spaniards, often acting as allies in attacks on other villages. To this day they are still regarded as social outcasts for these reasons.

The Laguna Pueblo (as named by Spaniards) was established in 1699 and later incorporated many Zuni, Acoma, Katishtya, Zia, Oraibi, Sandia, and Jemez. (The native name for the Laguna village was Kawaik.) Presently this tribe has become one and occupies Paquate, Encinal, Paraje, New Laguna, Mesita, Casa Blanca, and Seama.

In the 1800s, the Kapo (Santa Clara) tribe spit up due to many not wanting to accept the federal government's programs.

Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, at which time it still controlled all of the aforementioned territory of the southwestern states. Mexico, as a result of independence, opened its doors to full citizenship and rights for all natives (Indians), which included the right to stake land claims. Many Indians and mestizos accepted citizenship and filed land claims, but many refused. (Remember the extent of territory which was Mexico at that time and the innumerable natives and mestizos within that territory.)

It wasn't until 1848 that the "Treaty of Guadelupe de Hildago" was signed and not until 1853 that the "Gadsden Purchase" sold off the various southwestern states to the United States government. At that time the United States slammed the door on all natives (Indians). They were not entitled to anything but a good killing, as General Sheridan coined the phrase "The only good Indian is a dead Indian."

The indigenous peoples of the southwest had been battling at this point for 300 years, and would now refocus it against the new oppressors, the USA. Many great war chiefs came from the Apache Nation, such as Geronimo, Cochise, Mangas Colorado, Victorio, Armijo, Chato, Naiche, Taza, Mangas, Jr., Bonito, Huerro Grande, El Sordo, Barboncito, Estrella, Cadette, Loco, Nana, as well as Manuelito of the Navajos, Santana of the Kiowas, Delshay of the Tonto Apache, Eskiminzin of the Aravaipa, Chihuahua of the Chiriehua, from1860 to 1886. (Note all the Spanish names; many spoke fluent Spanish.)

Unfortunately many Native Americans, ignorant of historical facts, try to project the government "roll number" of the Bureau of Indian Affairs as some great identity tag, as though it makes them more "Red" or "Indian" than a mestizo whose ancestors took to the deep mountains to survive wave after wave of genocidal attacks. Not all natives were captured or surrendered in the government forts and reservations and given a "Biscuit Number" for rations. Many escaped the attacks, escaped from the forts, escaped from the "Long Walks," from the reservations, and remained free, without a BIA Biscuit Roll number-not to mention all those who accepted Mexican full citizenship, received land (stake-claims), took Hispanic names, and filtered into the oppressor's overwhelming systematic domination to secure their best interests. Lastly, there are mestizos of mixed blood, whether Apache-Spanish, or Navajo-Spanish, Zuni-Spanish, or Maya-Spanish, who may have filtered into the U.S. government's files misidentified. Those who act like they must have a

Biscuit-Government-ration number to be "Red" and a white British or French last name to be "Indian," should wake up and check the efforts of many who have continued the fight of our ancestors for our indigenous cultural/spiritual ways and human rights, as well as self-determination.

Many personally oppose the "American" part of the label "Native American Indian." What is the difference if some would rather identify themselves as "mestizo" or "mestizo-Mexicano" or "Apache-Mexicano"? A Mexican is a person whose nationality-country of origin, is Mexico. It's not a true "race" identity. The United States refused to even recognize our people as "persons" within the meaning of the law until 1879 (Standing Bear v. Cook-a federal habeas corpus case). So if a person of mixed southwestern native and Spanish blood prefers identification as "mestizo" and the American government misidentifies him/her as "Mexican race," yet the person stands true as a warrior for both his "Red-Indian" heritage and pre-1853 "Mexican" heritage, this does not make him any less "Red" or "Indian" than those with a government roll number-especially if he knows, practices, and follows the "Red Road." Prejudices are derived from ignorance. A roll number is nothing more than a tag of subjugation and capitulation.

-Mitakuye oyasin. In the spirit of Crazy Horse, Geronimo, Mangas, Colorado, and all the other great warriors and chiefs who fought and died in the struggle to maintain self-determination.

 

 

MEXIKAYOTL, OUR RED ROAD
Not Hispanic, not Latino

by Tekpatltzin

There is an urgent need to keep the spiritual connection flowing within our Indigenous communities and indi-vidual spirits, an ancestral pride that screams out, "We Are Still here-after 500 years of resistance to cultural and spiritual genocide!" This is not an anti-European movement; it is a pro-Indigenous movement-pro-Mexica, pro-Lakota, pro-Navajo, etc. When the European founding "Fathers" stole this land and renamed it "America," there was no mention of including the 500 Indigenous Nations (and Africans) in their constitution. We were not supposed to be here after 500 years.

We are reclaiming our indigenous identities-Mexikayotl (Mexica Red Road-whether we're Mexica, Lakota, Maya, Tsalagi, Apache, Taino, or hundreds of other First Nations. I am Mexica (not mestizo) as are many of you.

What does it mean to be Mexica? It means we are citizens of the Cosmos (universe), of the planet, and of our Cemanahuac. Mexica is the original name for the countless groups of Nahuatl-speaking people that migrated from the north into the central valley of Mexico around 1165 AD. To many historians we are Aztecs because of our connection to Aztlan, considered our mythical homeland, but Aztlan was only one chapter of our endless story of the Olmecas, Toltecas, Mayas, Chichimecas, Purepechas, Tarahumaras.

The important part is to identify with our true heritage, whether we call ourselves Aztec or Mexica, and to rebuild our spiritual and cultural identities. We have become like the colonizers, killing each other in record numbers over drugs, colors, and gang affiliations. Today a Mexica youth can eyeball another Mexica youth on the street, and before you know it they're at each other's throat. What has caused our young people to hate each other, to hate who they are, and to take this to a violent solution? Has the European done such a good job that we no longer know who we are? And do we now want to assimilate and become like the European? The answers is a resounding NO!

Our ancestors are coming back to us. Just look and listen to our own children. The spirit Ometeotl is truly guiding us right now, and it is not by chance that we are meeting each other on this path, Mexikayotl.

There is a vital need to connect our different circles of warriors. Whether we are a radical, politically inclined, spiritually aware, incarcerated, a danzante, a lowrider, a professional, someone pursuing a higher education, or just kicking back until we find ourselves, we need to honor all struggles, especially within our own diverse Mexica/Native American community. The struggles of our youth in Chicago mirror the struggles of youth in Los Angeles, San Antonio, or Denver.

The danger we face today is the destruction and criminalization of our Mexica and all Native and African youth. Whether it's in Chicago, New York, Denver or L.A. or on the reservations in South Dakota, Arizona or Oklahoma, our youth are bearing the brunt of all major social ills. Our youth are being imprisoned in record numbers, yet the media tell us that violent crime is down in all major categories. That means that our future as Indigenous people is being targeted. They call it Zero Tolerance, which translates to racism. Wake Up Mexica, Lakota, Maya, Purepecha!

We are caught in the midst of a very hysterical American public which dictates that all crimes committed receive the maximum penalties. With the more severe sentences, any chance for rehabilitation is limited or nonexistent. If the prison system were serious about rehabilitation, they would allow us to come and teach our youth Mexika and indigenous spirituality. They would allow us to run sweat lodge and pipe ceremonies. They would allow us to work with, instead of against, local prison officials.

Remember, always, our youth, adults, and elders who are incarcerated and suffering at the hands of despotic prison regimes. We offer all of you behind the walls our prayers, support, and a smudge of copal and sage.

May the spirits of our ancient teachers continue to provide us with the wisdom, humbleness, and courage to stay committed to our path, Mexikayotl, our red road. WAKE UP MEXICA! Form study circles, learn our traditions and ceremonies.


If you would like to be added to our mailing list and receive our publication Kalpulli Yetlenezi-Tolteka 13, please send name and address to Tekpatltzin, 204 Gregory St., Unit E, Aurora, IL 60504, mexicapride@earthlink.net.

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