Chinanteco people

The Chinantecs (from Nahuatl: Chinantēcah 'Inhabitants of Chinantla') are a people Originally from Mexico who live in the State of Oaxaca. At the beginning of the XXI century they still retain their culture and identity.

The origin of the Chinanteco people dates back to some of the populations that inhabited the national territory before the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico. The Chinantecs call themselves "tsa ju jmí", which means "old word people", with a language belonging to the Otomangue group, although each town has its own nickname that goes preceded by the word "tsa", "dsa" or "alla", which means people. They recognize themselves as inhabitants of the Chinantla.

Specialists point out that there is not just one Chinantec language, but several: Chinanteco from Ojitlán, Chinanteco from Usila, Chinanteco from Quiotepec, Chinanteco from Yolox, Chinanteco from Sochiapan or "jaujami", Chinanteco from Palantla, Chinanteco from Valle Nacional, Chinanteco from Lalana, Chinanteco from Latani and Chinanteco from Petlapa. They are tonal languages that form a family derived from the Otomanguean trunk.

According to the 1990 census, there were 90,300 speakers of Chinantec languages in Oaxaca and 109,100 nationwide, a figure that does not include children under 5 years of age.

Historical background

State of Oaxaca, in whose territory the Chinese people settle.

Around 999, King Quiana founded a great lordship in Chinantla; Some internal conflicts divided the population and later the lordships of Chinantla Baja and Chinantla Pichinche were established, based in Yolox in the highlands. Around 1300 Chinantla Pichinche was divided and part of its population moved to Usila, and established another manor there. Around 1455, the Mexicas settled in Tochtepec (Tuxtepec) and dominated from there the Mazatecos, Cuicatecos, Chinantecos, and Popolocas. When the conquerors arrived they settled in Tuxtepec; the Chinantecs allied with them to end Aztec rule. Around 1530 the Chinantecs of Usila rose up against the Spanish.

Due to its proximity to Veracruz and due to the quality of its land, this region became one of the most important agricultural areas in New Spain.

During the Porfiriato, some mestizo towns in the region were provided with services; the alliance between the hegemonic regional groups and the dictatorship affected the indigenous regions. By 1910, tobacco, cocoa, and coffee were grown on the haciendas protected by the Reform Laws. Many foreigners settled in Valle Nacional, attracted by the facilities to acquire land. The plantations were turned into forced labor camps as punishment for rebels and political enemies of the regime.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Chinantla Baja received a strong agricultural economic boost with the cultivation of tobacco and bananas. The North American companies Standard Fruit and United Fruit established their dominance in the area and the Chinantecs became pawns in their own territory. In 1941, the Agrarian Reform redistributed land and foreign companies had to leave the area. The cultivation of tobacco and plantain remained in the hands of small and medium-sized owners; however, the commercialization continues in foreign or mestizo hands.

Between 1940 and 1970, Chinantla Baja was affected by projects for the construction of dams to generate electricity, to promote development in the region. Between 1949 and 1955 the Miguel Alemán dam was built, which affected Mazatec communities, and in 1972 construction of the Cerro de Oro dam began, which flooded more than 26,000 fertile hectares, affecting 300 Chinantec families, who were relocated to other areas of Oaxaca and in the southeast of Veracruz. Their rearrangement meant a process of dispersion of the old communities and the consequent dismemberment of kinship networks. The loss of traditional habitat fragmented the native culture.

Religion

Cosmogony is an essential part of their religion and beliefs. This is reflected in the luxury huipiles of the Chinantec women. Her worldview comprises a whole made up of elements that oppose and complement each other. Thus, the myth of the sun and the moon explains the opposition of two worlds that crystallize in day and night, and differentiate the human from the animal, as well as the good from the bad. In this way, knowledge is based on duality: the soul and the body are different, the former resides in the heart, and after death it is transported to the other side of the seas by a great black dog or by a spider. The supernatural beings that surround the Chinanteco people can be positive or negative. Some provide protection and others cause evil, for this they use people (witches or healers). The classification patterns of the Chinantec environment are a sample of their worldview.

Chinantec languages

The Chinantec language is made up of a conglomerate of various dialects, Ojitlán, Usila, Quiotepec, Yolox, Sochiapan, Palantla, Valle Nacional, Lelana, Latania and Petlapa; all of which are called "Chinantec languages". These languages are tonal, and the tone of the word determines its meaning.

Distribution of the Chinese people and the languages of the different groups that make up it.

Most of the roots of the Chinantec languages are monosyllabic words and rarely end in a consonant, Spanish loanwords are reduced to one or two syllables, where the final consonant is dropped, if any, and are subject to tonal changes common to these languages.

The Chinantec languages derive from the Otomanguean language family. The speakers of Chinanteco are distributed mainly in 17 municipalities, divided into five Oaxacan districts. The language has been divided into five dialectal macro variants, which coincide with its geographical-territorial division. Among the Chinantecos there is a strong linguistic-territorial identity, and they recognize themselves as speakers of the same language. INALI has estimated, based on the census carried out by INEGI in the year 2000, there were 133,374 speakers of Chinantec languages in Mexico, and a large part of them reside in the state of Oaxaca. According to the 2015 census, there are 139,000 speakers of Chinantec languages in Mexico. Mexico.

Culture and crafts

The Chinantec women of Jocotepec, Petlapa, Usila and Ojitlán preserve their traditional clothing in the manufacture of woolen fabrics. In the huipiles that they weave and embroider, they capture the history of their ancestors and adorn them with symbols and signs that reflect their customs, their worldview and their relationship with nature. Under the huipil a cotín or half bottom is worn.

The whole family participates in the collection and preparation of the raw material for the fabrics. The spinning and skeining process is done with a winch and with mirrors, respectively. Already prepared the thread, the activity corresponds exclusively to women. They also make tablecloths and napkins for sale.

The men, for their part, produce pita and ixtle nets to make cast nets and hammocks.

The main festivals celebrated in Chinantla are those related to European penetration during the Conquest and the Colony: Holy Week, All Saints and the festivals of the patron saint of each of the towns.