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We Will Rise - rebuilding the Mexikah Nation

by Kurly Tlapoyawa

192 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #02-0117; ISBN 1-55369-304-3; US$21.00, C$28.50, EUR18.60, £12.90

A revolutionary and eye opening look at the indigenous cultural heritage of chicano - Mexicans.

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about the book      about the author      sample excerpts or Table of Contents      catalogue info

About the Book Mexikah Tiwi!!! - Forward Mexicanos!!! A bold cultural movement is emerging among the Chicano-Mexicano people. A movement known as "Mexikayotl" (Meh-Shee-Kah-Yoht) which seeks to reclaim, preserve, and advance their Indigenous heritage. But to define Mexikayotl as a mere movement is not enough - it is a vibrant living philosophy, a means by which Chicano-Mexicanos can reclaim their rightful place in the world. The book you now hold in your hands is an introduction to this way of life, offering a glimpse into the complex Indigenous heritage of the Chicano-Mexicano nation. As an Indigenous (Native American) people, the majority of Chicano-Mexicanos have been denied the ability to fully embrace and celebrate their cultural heritage. They have had worthless labels such as "Spanish," "Hispanic," "Latino," and even "Indo-Hispano" deliberately thrust upon them - labels which deny their Native roots and replace their cultural identity with that of a white European. Mexikayotl offers a solution to this ignorant practice of demographic genocide. To have a Mexikah identity is a proud and assertive cultural statement. The word, within its modern context, describes an Indigenous (ethnic) Mexican - a member of one of the many Indigenous nations which thrive in the country of Mexico. It is an identity which allows detribalized Chicano-Mexicanos to openly embrace their Native heritage. To share a common Mexikah identity is not to deny your Purepecha, Raramuri, Yaqui or Mixteka blood - Mexikayotl is not about division. It is an open declaration that even after 500+ years of cultural imperialism and Hispanic genocide, Chicano-Mexicanos remain a proud nation of Indigenous people!

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About the Author At age 20, Tlapoyawa set out to write this book as a resource for his sister, whose public school teachers refused to accept any information about Mexikan history that did not come directly from a book. He began to take what he was being taught by maestros and jefes of Mexikah Dance, as well as his mother and the books she had saved for him from the Chicano Movement, and put them into an accessible format geared for youth. Even though most of the "official" written histories available are full of the same old stereotypes and Eurocentric misinterpretations, Tlapoyawa did begin to find books that held the truth - from noted historians and Mexikanistas such as Dr. Romerovargas Yturbide, Miguel Leon-Portilla, Arturo Meza Gutierrez, Miguel Angel Mendoza, Jack D. Forbes and other scholars. Over the course of eight years, Kurly has amassed a huge collection of written accounts that no historian, scholar or certainly school teacher could dismiss. And still, it is only the beginning. As one of his primary teachers, Paz, told him, this book is a "good Mexikah primer." The quest for truth, beauty and knowledge will never end, and will never stray far from the people who live the culture. Tlapoyawa is founder and national representative of the Mexika Eagle Society; a danzante under Tleyankanke Patricio Zamora in Kalpulli Ehekatl; a former member of MEChA at UNM and El Partido Nacional de la Raza Unida of New Mexico.

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Sample Excerpts

THE FACT OF AZTLAN

Aztlan. The very mention of the word itself conjures up images of our glorious Xikano heritage - images of a past firmly rooted in Ixachilan, these lands which are now known as the "American" continents. Aztlan is our ancestral homeland - "The place of white herons" where our Aztekah ancestors lived for countless years before migrating to the south. The history of their journey, passed down through the oral and written traditions of our people is the foundation of our Native identities. It is a story which every Xikano should know.

The exact location of Aztlan remains a controversial subject, with theories placing it anywhere from the southwestern United States to the valley of Mexiko. And in all likelihood, it’s entirely possible that more than one Aztlan exists. After all, locations known as "Tula" can be found throughout the Mexikan nation. In this book I explore the possibility that Aztlan is located in the four corners area, a region which geographically and culturally lends itself to this idea.

The belief that Aztlan is located in the four corners (modern Utah to be exact) is not a new one. Mexikah leader and teacher Andres Segura (may he rest in peace) taught that we are the descendants of the people now called the Anasazi, and that our true homeland rests in the four corners region. But this belief is not confined to Mexikah spiritual leaders. Academics such as Dr. Cecilio Orozco of California State University and Dr. Antoon Vollemaere of the Flemish Institute for American Cultures have both done extensive research placing our ancestral homeland in Utah.

The search for Aztlan took an exciting turn when it was revealed that the map used for the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo between the U.S. and Mexiko has a location marking the "ancient homeland of the Aztecs" in Utah. By signing a treaty based on this map, the United States recognized this area as the traditional homeland of our people, and is bound by international law to acknowledge that we are the original inhabitants of this land. This in itself obliterates the notion that our people can ever be considered "illegal immigrants." Yet despite the historical, anthropological, and archeological evidence which proves our people once inhabited (and continue to inhabit) these lands, Aztlan remains down-played by some as the "mythological homeland" of our people.

By referring to our homeland as a myth, the validity of our very people (and struggle) as a whole comes into question. After all, if the place we come from is a myth, wouldn’t this mean that we are myths ourselves as well? And if we as a people are nothing more than myths, then so must be our heritage and historical ties to this land. Obviously we are not a mythological people, and our ties to this land are very real. Imagine the audacity of teaching that Black people come from a mythological place called Africa or that the Chinese are from a mythological place called China. The very idea is both racist and absurd. Yet we are expected to believe that the history of our people is not relevant. We are taught that Aztlan is a complete fabrication and that our heritage is just something we happened to make up.

The fact that eight Nawatlakah, or Nawatl speaking nations, migrated south into present day Mexiko from Aztlan is a significant part of our history, as it ties our Indigenous heritage to both north and central "America." This serves as a constant reminder that our blood runs deeper into these lands than that of any European. But perhaps this is where the entire "Aztlan is a myth" idea came from in the first place. By making our Indigenous heritage nothing more than "mythology," the United States has managed to destroy our connection to this land. They have also imposed a false "Hispanic/Latino" identity on our people, making us easier to control. "What are you guys complaining about?" They will ask us. "Your ancestors stole this land from the Native people anyway!" And since they have us running around calling ourselves "Hispanic/Latinos" (white Europeans) we don't even realize that our ancestors WERE the Native people. Obviously, if we all identified with our Indigenous heritage it would make things difficult for the American power structure. They would actually have to admit that Xikanos and Mexikanos are a nation of Native people, and white Europeans are actually the "illegal aliens."

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Catalogue Information

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