Purepecha people
The purépecha nation (p'urhepecha or p'urhe, Purépecha language [pʰuˈɽepeʧa]) is an indigenous people who inhabit primarily the state of Michoacán, Mexico. Its members are known as p'urhépecha in their Purépecha etymology P'urhépecherio ('land of the Purépecha') and were known as the michoacas or michoacanos in their Nahuatl etymology, as inhabitants of Michoacán ('place of fishermen'), and who also lived in the states of Guanajuato and Guerrero, in Mexico.
Most of the Purépechas live in the 22 municipalities of Michoacán that make up the “Purépecha region”: Coeneo, Charapan, Cherán, Chilchota, Erongarícuaro, Los Reyes, Nahuatzen, Nuevo Parangaricutiro, Paracho, Pátzcuaro, Peribán, Quiroga, Tancítaro, Tangamandapio, Tangancícuaro, Tingambato, Tingüindín, Tocumbo, Tzintzuntzan, Uruapan, Zacapu, and Ziracuarétiro. The groups that have immigrated have settled mainly in neighboring Mexican states such as Jalisco, Guanajuato, Guerrero, the State of Mexico, Colima, and also in Ciudad of Mexico and the United States. The basic activities of the majority of the Purépechas are metallurgy, which is what prevented the conquest of the Mexicas, agriculture, livestock, pottery, fishing and the development of various crafts and typical costumes, etc..[citation required]
History
Between the 15th and 16th centuries, the Purépecha empire, with its capital at Ts'intsuntsani, Zincucani or Tzintzuntzan, was a major Mesoamerican Copper Age power that resisted the push of the Mexica Empire. His empire covered the southern part of the state of Guanajuato, a large part of the state of Michoacán and the northern region of the state of Guerrero to the south of the State of Mexico. Since it was governed by clans ruled by various houses established at various points, one could speak of a confederation of these, from a certain period of its history until the Spanish invasion of their territories. Their military and economic success was due, in part, to the fact that the Purépecha were skilled workers in metals such as gold and copper. This factor undoubtedly helped maintain their independence from the Mexica. The ancient Purépecha were exclusive speakers of the Purépecha language, a language isolate with no demonstrated historical relationship to any other in the region. The most famous source of information about the Purépechas is the Relación de Michoacán written by Fray Jerónimo de Alcalá for Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza around 1540.
Tarascan State (Purépecha Empire)
The greatest character in the history of the P'urhépecha is King Tariácuri (priest of the wind) born in the 14th century, a simile of Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl. During the reign of Tariácuri, the P'urhépecha people consolidated themselves as a powerful empire whose influence greatly expanded throughout Mesoamerica. At the end of his life, Tariácuri administratively divided his empire into three kingdoms, one guarded by his son Hiquíngare and the others by his two nephews Hiripan and Tangáxoan. Subsequently Axayácatl, emperor of the Aztecs, invaded the Purépecha empire, which led to the union of the three kingdoms until then divided, into one, with Tangáxoan I as king of the reunited empire who managed to finally expel the Mexica from the Purépecha territory. However, the conflicts between the Nahuas and the Purépechas would not end, since after the defeat of the Mexicas the saltpeter war would begin.
Viceregal Era (Spanish Empire)
After the arrival of the Spanish, the irecha ('lord of the innumerable houses') or Michoacan lord Tangáxoan II submitted without resistance to the Spanish Empire before the Spanish conquistador Cristóbal de Olid with the objective of to save his people and to negotiate a peace treaty. In 1530 the governor and president of the Primera Audiencia Nuño de Guzmán looted the region, destroying temples, ceremonial centers and tombs in search of precious metals. Likewise, he ordered the execution of Tangáxoan II, after submitting him to a trial in which he was accused of killing Spaniards, keeping his old religion hidden, and encouraging disobedience. This caused chaos in the region. Many indigenous people fled to the hills and various episodes of violence occurred. This situation moved the Crown to send as "visitor" to the oidor and later bishop Don Vasco de Quiroga. Quiroga managed to establish a lasting colonial order that at the same time favored the continuity of the remnants of the P'urhépecha culture through the centuries. He is credited with teaching various trades, the craft specializations of each town and other traditions with Spanish influences that remain to this day.
During the viceregal era, the P'urhépecha territory was divided into several jurisdictions governed by mayors, dependent on the viceroyalty of New Spain. From the ecclesiastical point of view, most of this territory remained within the Bishopric of Michoacán.
On the other hand, many P'urhépecha participated in the colonization and settlement of northern New Spain, and the uninhabited regions of the Bajío (taking into account that part of the Bajío already belonged, at that time, to the empire purépecha).
The P'urhépecha lived in Indian villages. The most important had a governor and an indigenous council, made up of aldermen, mayors and bailiffs who were elected annually. These authorities had corporate control over land, water, and forests, as well as judicial, fiscal, and administrative powers at the local level.
In addition, hospitals were established in most of the towns. The initiative has been attributed to both Bishop Vasco de Quiroga and the Franciscans, particularly Fray Juan de San Miguel. These hospitals, in addition to their strictly medical functions, had educational and social assistance purposes. The most notable example is that of the Quiroguian foundation of Santa Fe de la Laguna.
The P'urhépecha population was severely affected by epidemics in the XVI century, particularly by the cocoliztli or teretsekua of 1576. At the end of the XVI century the Spanish Crown proceeded with a program of &# 34;congregations" or relocation and concentration of towns, which caused the disappearance of many smaller populations.
Origins
Origin of the Purépechas or Tarascans
Some authors estimate that the origin of the Purhépecha would be in the South American continent, based on different types of evidence:[citation required]
- The traces of ceramics, constructions and burials of "well type" spread from South America to the central area of Mexico.
- The artistic-religious similarities between the p'urhépecha culture and the South American peoples.
- The linguistic resemblance to the wari language that has a mixture of Huancaíno Quechua, Aymara, muchic, culli and puquina of the Peruvian coast.
- The use of arsenical bronze that prior to these was only known by South American cultures
However, these factors do not constitute sufficiently strong evidence to guarantee said origin.
Origin of the name Purépecha
P'orhépecheo or Purhépecherhu, which means "place where the p'urhé live". According to the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples in Mexico, this people from the lake and mountainous regions of central Michoacán call themselves p'urhépecha, and each of them its members is a p'urhé or p'uré which means people or person; this implies a self-affirmation as human beings and people in general. There is a controversy regarding this denomination, because, in ancient times, the p'urhépecha were servants and war assistants and only they were named that way, while, for example, the main lords were called achéecha. Reason why it is considered inappropriate to speak of a Purépecha empire. In any case, at present, the ethnonym in use is Purépecha in Spanish or p'urhépecha in the Purépecha language.
Origin of the Tarascan name
The name "tarascan," was supposedly given to them by the Spanish, although according to José Corona Núñez (Tarascan mythology, Instituto Michoacano de Cultura, 1999. p. 30) the name of tarascos comes from the venerable engender god Tharas Úpeme since, quoting Sahagún:
"His god they had was called Taras, of which, taking his name from the michoacanos, it is also called tarasca; and this Taras, in the Mexican language, is said Mixcoatl..."
While quoting Pedro Ponce de León, a contemporary of Sahagún:
"Huitzilopochtli, like Taras, God of the Mechuaca."
Despite the study by José Corona, the poor study and understanding of the Tarasca-P'urhépecha culture has allowed the misunderstanding of this denomination to be maintained for a long time, without there being an agreement on the matter.
Another hypothesis points out that the reason why they are called "tarascos" to the P'urhépechas is explained as follows:
When the Spaniards arrived in the 16th century to the lake area of Mechuacan (place between lakes), the local inhabitants, far from conflagrating against the new "invators", saw as their allies having overthrown the Aztec Empire, therefore the locals peacefully gave the Spaniards to their sisters as a gift to travel with them in their new expeditions to the south of the country; Therefore the Spaniards told them the Tarhashkuas or the Tarascos, because by not understanding their language they only heard that they mentioned this word repeatedly. "tarhashkua, tarhashkua, tatzikia tarhashkua."(Luis Mario Fuentes Chagolla) Relationship of Michoacán. Fray Jerónimo de Alcalá. Economic Culture Fund.
Religion
Originally the Purépecha culture had its own original and native religion of the Purépecha empire that it maintained until the Hispanic contact, after this contact the evangelization of the Purépechas began, by the Franciscan orders in the border regions of the Purépecha empire, since annexed to the Spanish crown when Tangáxoan II was still alive. After the death of Tangáxoan II caused by Nuño de Guzmán, there was a rebellion in the region, for which the Franciscan and Augustinian missionaries, and the lawyer and humanist Vasco de Quiroga, were commissioned to calm the situation after the Second Hearing. (and the deportation of Nuño de Guzmán to Spain), which led to the adoption of Catholicism by a large part of the Purépecha in the middle of the colonial era. Currently most of the Purépechas are Catholics. From a certain point of view and since, before the Conquest, the confederation of Tarascan clans had a different sociopolitical and polyethnic configuration, the Purépecha people —as they are constituted today— were born in the XVI, when these clans were Christianized.
The pre-Hispanic Purépecha religion
Traditionally it has been considered that the pre-Hispanic P'urhépecha religion was polytheistic. Although José Corona Núñez suggests that they believed in a creative principle made up of a male part Curicaveri or Curicaheri and a female part Cuerahuáperi. There was also the "word" or "divine breath" or messenger, called Curitacaheri. Also this triad can be seen as the mother, the father and the creation of the new being; while the masculine creative principle was represented by the Sun, the feminine creative principle by the Moon, and the product or messenger was Venus.
The cosmos of the P'urhépecha was made up of three worlds: the world of the dead Cumánchecuaro located underground, the world of the living Echerendu located in the surface of the Earth and the world of the engendering gods Aúandarhu situated in the sky. While the cosmos was divided into five different directions, each guarded by deities called Tirepemes:
- Orient: identified by the red colour, where the Sun is reborn and guarded by Tirépeme-Quarencha.
- West: identified by white colour, where the Sun died and guarded by Tirépeme-Turupten.
- North: identified by yellow color, winter solstice direction and guarded by Tirépeme-Xungápeti.
- South: identified by black colour, entry to paradise (tlallocan mexica) and guarded by Tirépeme-Caheri.
- Center: identified by the blue color, where the Sun is reborn and guarded by Chupi-Tirépeme.
Each Tirépeme was a manifestation (brother) of Curicaveri, and each address represented a stay (house) of the sun-fire god. Different properties were assigned to each address, making it appear that each Tirépeme was a different deity.
Something similar happened with Cuerahuáperi ('untie in the womb') who is the great creator, giver of life and death, she also had four manifestations (daughters) that were the clouds of the four different directions (symbolized by different colors); which she could germinate life with adequate rains, drown it with torrential downpours or destroy it with hail and frost.
The most important manifestation of Cuerahuáperi was her daughter Xarátanga ('goddess of maintenance') represented by the new moon, while her mother turns out to be the waning (old) moon. In a similar way that the eastern sun is a son or "rebirth" of the dead sun in the west, Xarátanga (the new moon) is the renewal of Cuerahuáperi (the waning moon).
In this way, the manifestations of the creative principle acquire different forms and names according to the direction and stratum of the cosmos in question. Suggesting a polytheistic religion made up of a large pantheon, a vision that is not adequate.
Purepecha flag
The p'urhépecha or anaakukua flag emerges as a symbol of union and identity with all the p'urhépecha, seeking at the same time the organization and struggle of the p'urhépecha peoples against the new forms of domination and exploitation that constantly attack the indigenous communities and in general the entire culture. And as a tribute to all the fallen brothers for the defense of the P'urhépecha traditions and for the integrity of the communal lands, especially the indigenous people murdered on November 17, 1979 in Santa Fe de la Laguna by the ranchers and white guards de Quiroga, the ceremony of taking the P'urhépecha flag is held in the indigenous community of Santa Fe de la Laguna, municipality of Quiroga, Michoacán, Mexico, on Monday, November 17, 1980.
A large number of people from the different P'urhépecha regions, as well as different levels of knowledge and disciplines, have participated in the project for the elaboration and design of this P'urhépecha flag, arriving at this symbolic image which can be explained as follows:
- Amarillo (Eraxamanirhu - Cañada Region of the 11 Peoples), which represents the region of the cane with the Duero River that runs through the Eleven Peoples as a symbol of life and energy that transmits to the people of this fertile region.
- Green (Juátarhu - Meseta P'urhépecha Region), which expresses the fruitfulness of the serra forests and the richness of the communal woods of the peoples belonging to the so-called Meseta P’urhépecha or Tarasca.
- Morado (Tsakápundurhu - Zacapu Cienaga Region), which makes present the region of the Cienaga and its peoples who have lost the mother tongue and much of their cultural heritage, which nevertheless still care and keep one of their ancient gods with their hands: corn.
- Blue (Japandarhu - Lake Region), which gives the significance of the lake region, where it was the center of the P’urhépecha Kingdom, reflecting in its waters the greatness of its gods and the present memory of the Yácatas that are still preserved in almost all the coastal villages, where it continues to take an ancestral food: white fish.
In the center, a block of obsidian has been placed that represents Curicaveri, it is the form of the solar god and that it meant the Great Fire, the one that feeds on Fire; form that burns and projects four groups of arrows to the different cardinal points, in the Relation it is said: these arrows are gods; in each of these, he kills the god Curicaveri and does not release two arrows in vain. There is also the white stone knife that indicates the message or destiny of the P'urhépecha people and their divine origin, descendant of the "Linaje del Dios Curicaveri".
The closed hand indicates the union of the P'urhépecha race, the presence of man and woman who unite all corners of our towns to defend their destiny as chosen people, like the prayer that is repeated now through the centuries:
“…Oh you, / god of fire, / accept our prayers favorably: / the spirals / of smoke / of the sacred firewood reach you / the courage / to our warriors / who today take up arms / to increase the domains / of our father the SUN / … You, / who are the golden morning, / blind your enemies, / envelop them in the smoke / that rises / from these thousand bonfires / and make them all fall / into the hands of your army.”
As firewood of the p'urhépecha shield, the phrase that was born in the fight organized for the defense of communal lands in Santa Fe de la Laguna has been taken; Juchari Uinapikua ('Our strength'), words that enclose the entire cultural heritage of an undefeated people and that today are repeated by the rest of the P'urhépecha peoples who fight for his release.