TERMINOLOGY

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Disclosures:

‘Anawak is the term that best describes all ov the Americas. This page will be discussing topics related to the Americas which include the nations, tribes, languages, customs, art, food, dance song, science, math, philosophies, medicine, wars and history.’

Obzidian

Greetings everyone,

At some point when it comes to Anawak culture we have to come to terms with how to describe many things. Anawak is a word in Nawatl (Nahuatl) usually spelled “Anahuac.” The phonetic spelling of the Nawatl language will be used on this site which we will then parenthesize the colonial spelling that everyone is used to, so you may research it. 

Anawak is the term that best describes all ov the Americas. This page will be discussing topics related to the Americas which include the nations, tribes, languages, customs, art, food, science, math, philosophy, medicine, warring and history.

Most of what we understand about Anawak history has either been written by foreigners or left to oral tradition with caretakers and currently on archeological sites. However, you have to be careful because not all the information is accurately conveyed. Prior to 1492 the Americas were inhabited by only Native Americans who did not use that term “Native American.” We called ourselves the people mostly in our languages because we did not label people, places or things.

The foreigners labeled and renamed us. They also decided to define us with their scientific terminology and western mentality. Sometimes these labels are degrading and derogatory or they are inaccurate descriptions. The foreigners tried to eradicate Native American cultures during the colonization of the Americas they massacred, raped and pillaged. They destroyed books and buildings. They also used Christianity to indoctrinate and change the Native philosophy. They removed us, the original Natives from our lands and put many of us on reservations, haciendas, or boarding schools. They forbade us to speak our languages or practice our traditions.

To be fair some archaeologists, anthropologists, historians, and scholars are trying to aid in understanding what was lost during the colonization. But, that does not make up for what their ancestors destroyed and it is a very sensitive issue when a foreigner thinks they know who we are as the descendant Native Americans on this continent.

Since we now speak these colonial languages such as English and Spanish it is very hard to keep the essence of our languages in tact. Many aspects of our culture, traditions, philosophies, rituals and ceremonies are lost in translation. Some literally perform ceremonies in English or Spanish for lack of the knowledge. So we have to come up with some commonalities to protect and preserve our way ov life.

After 527 years, even our elders have lost many of the traditions and we have had to adapt to this New World.

Therefore, this page is dedicated to the reciprocity and validation of the Americas. My colleagues and I will do our best to clarify terms and give definitions as well as descriptions of Anawak culture. Please ask questions and add your thoughts at the bottom of each post. We will do our best to answer or create posts to explain each topic.

How did “All Saints Day” become “Dia de Muertos?” – [ mexika.org ]

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[ Kurly Tlapoyawa ] Prior to the Spanish invasion, Mesoamerican traditions of honoring the dead were celebrated with two specific feasts: Mikailwitl (feast of the dead), and Wey Mikailwitl (great feast of the dead). These feasts were celebrated in early August through mid-September. Many think that Mikailwitl and Wey Mikailwitl were absorbed into All Saints…
— Read on mexika.org/2017/11/01/how-did-all-saints-day-become-dia-de-muertos/

Mechica: Indigenous Origin of the Chicano Hybrid Identity

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www.se.edu/native-american/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2020/06/4.pdf

Mechica: Indigenous Origin of the Chicano Hybrid Identity

Rolando J. Diaz Southeastern Oklahoma State University

Both Homi Bhabha and Gloria Anzaldúa speak of a “third” element that emerges as a “structure of ambivalence” (Bhabha 217) and as a “new consciousness” (Anzaldúa 102). Bhabha develops his concept of culture in terms of class, gender, and race, whereas Anzaldúa bases her concept of culture in terms of fluid, and transient borders. The term Mechica and the Chicano hybrid identity (historical, cultural, and linguistic) are presented here as an amalgamation of various components that when brought together result in something new, something distinct, and something altogether greater than the sum of its parts. The native roots of the Chicano can be traced back to the Aztecs and to other indigenous people in what would become Mexico. His European roots were introduced by the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492. The complexity of the Chicano is that he is both the conqueror and the conquered. He is an amalgamation of both the indigenous and the European. He speaks the language of conquest (Spanish in Mexico; English in the United States), yet holds on to remnants of Nahuatl. This paper will approach the Chicano identity as hybrid of the Indigenous/Native American and the European/Spanish patrimonies.

Circulation of Feathers in Mesoamerica

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Feathers, especially those from colorful tropical birds, were among the most highly prized materials in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Likewise the craft of featherworking was among the most esteemed in the Mesoamerican world. Feathers were fashioned into exquisite adornments for nobles and gods, worked into fancy textiles for the elite, and provided embellishment for the shields and military costumes of highly achieved warriors. This presentation focuses on the manner in which feathers traveled from hand to hand in the complex process of acquisition, manufacture, and finally consumption during the last century before the Spanish conquest. Emphasis is on the circulation of feathers through well-established channels of tribute, marketplace exchange, “foreign” trade, and elite reciprocity.
— Read on journals.openedition.org/nuevomundo/1387