Aztec Tribe Map

The Aztec economy was based on three things: agricultural goods, tribute, and trade. Aztec trade was crucially important to the empire; there could be no empire without it as many goods used by the Aztecs were not produced locally. Prized white cotton could not grow at the altitude of the Valley of Mexico and had to be imported from conquered semi-tropical regions further south, as were cacao.

Map of Aztec, Mayan, and Incan Civilizationsby Ducksters AztecsThe Aztec Empire was located in central Mexico. It ruled much of the region from the 1400s until the Spanish arrived in 1519. Much of the Aztec society centered around their religion and gods. They built large pyramids as temples to their gods and went to war to capture people they could sacrifice to their gods.The capital city of the Aztec Empire was Tenochtitlan. This city was founded in 1325 on an island in Lake Texcoco.

At the height of its power, the city likely had a population of 200,000 people. At the center of the city was a large temple complex with pyramids and a palace for the king. The rest of the city was planned out in a grid-like fashion and divided up into districts.

It had causeways built to get to the mainland and aqueducts to bring fresh water into the city.The Aztec called their ruler the Tlatoani. The Empire reached its height under the rule of Tlatoani Montezuma I. Around 1517 the priests of the Aztecs began to see omens of doom. They felt that something bad was going to happen. They were right. In 1519 Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico. By 1521 the Spanish had conquered the Aztecs.

They tore down much of the city of Tenochtitlan and built their own city on the site called Mexico City.MayaThe Maya civilization began as early as 2000 BC and continued to have a strong presence in Mesoamerica for over 3000 years until the Spanish arrived in 1519 AD. The Maya were organized into powerful city-states. Over the course of Maya history, different city-states came into power such as El Mirador, Tikal, Uxmal, Caracol, and Chichen Itza.The Maya were located in Central America in a region that is today made up of southern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, Belize, and northern El Salvador.

They built hundreds of cities filled with large stone structures. The Maya are perhaps best known today for their many pyramids. They built pyramids to their gods that towered hundreds of feet tall above the jungle.The Maya were the only American civilization to develop an advanced written language. They also excelled in mathematics, art, architecture, and astronomy. The golden age of the Maya civilization occurred during what is called the Classic Period from 250 AD to 900 AD. IncaThe Inca Empire was centered in Peru and ruled over much of the west coast of South America from the 1400s to the time of the Spanish arrival in 1532.

This wide ranging empire did not have the wheel, iron tools, or a writing system, but its complex government and system of roads created a society where everyone had a job, a home, and something to eat.The emperor of the Inca was known as the Sapa Inca. The first Sapa Inca was Manco Capac. He founded the Kingdom of Cuzco around 1200 AD. The city of Cuzco would remain the capital of the empire as it expanded in the coming years. The Inca expanded into a great empire under the reign of Pachacuti.

Pachacuti created the Inca Empire which the Inca called the Tawantinsuyu. At its height, the Inca Empire had an estimated population of over 10 million people.The Inca were conquered by the Spanish and conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1533. The empire was already severely weakened by civil war and diseases such as smallpox when Pizarro arrived.ActivitiesRecommended books and references:. Aztec, Inca, and Maya an Eyewitness Book by Elizabeth Baquedano. 2005. The Aztec Empire by Sunita Apte. 2010.

Great Civilizations: The Aztec Empire by Sheila Wyborny. 2004. Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Maya by Leonard Everett Fisher. 1999. The Inca by World Book. 2009. The Inca Empire by Sandra Newman.

2010.Aztecs.Maya.Inca.Back to.

A women and children inIn the second article of its, Mexico is defined as a 'pluricultural' nation in recognition of the diverse ethnic groups that constitute it and where the are the original foundation.The number of indigenous Mexicans is judged using the political criteria found in the 2nd article of the Mexican constitution. The Mexican census does not report racial-ethnicity but only the cultural-ethnicity of indigenous communities that preserve their indigenous languages, traditions, beliefs and cultures.The category of indigena (indigenous) can be defined narrowly according to linguistic criteria including only persons that speak one of, this is the categorization used by the National Mexican Institute of Statistics. It can also be defined broadly to include all persons who self identify as having an indigenous cultural background, whether or not they speak the language of the indigenous group they identify with. This means that the percentage of the Mexican population defined as 'indigenous' varies according to the definition applied; cultural activists have referred to the usage of the narrow definition of the term for census purposes as 'statistical genocide'.The indigenous peoples in Mexico have the right of free determination under the second article of the constitution.

According to this article the indigenous peoples are granted:. the right to decide the internal forms of social, economic, political, and cultural organization;. the right to apply their own normative systems of regulation as long as human rights and gender equality are respected;. the right to preserve and enrich their languages and cultures;. the right to elect representatives before the municipal council where their territories are located;among other rights.

Also, the Law of Linguistic Rights of the Indigenous Languages recognizes 89 as 'national languages', which have the same validity as Spanish in all territories where they are spoken. According to the (INEGI), approximately 5.4% of the population speaks an indigenous language - that is, approximately half of those identified as indigenous. The recognition of indigenous languages and the protection of indigenous cultures is granted not only to the ethnic groups indigenous to modern-day Mexican territory but also to other North American indigenous groups that migrated to Mexico from the United States in the nineteenth century and those who immigrated from in the 1980s.

History Pre-Columbian civilizations. Mesoamerica and its cultural areasThe civilizations of what now is known as Mexico are usually divided in two regions:, in reference to the cultural area where several complex civilizations developed before the arrival of the in the sixteenth century, and (or simply 'The North') in reference to the arid region north of the where few civilizations developed and was mostly inhabited by nomadic or semi-nomadic groups. Despite the conditions however, it is argued that the and Peoples successfully established population centers at and in a vast territory that encompassed northern Chihuahua state and parts of and in the United States.Mesoamerica was densely populated by diverse indigenous ethnic groups which, although sharing common cultural characteristics, spoke different languages and developed unique civilizations.One of the most influential civilizations that developed in Mesoamerica was the civilization, sometimes referred to as the 'Mother Culture of Mesoamerica'. The later civilization in reached its peak around 600 AD, when the city became the sixth largest city in the world, whose cultural and theological systems influenced the and civilizations in later centuries. Evidence has been found on the existence of multiracial communities or neighborhoods in Teotihuacan (and other large urban areas like ).The, though also influenced by other Mesoamerican civilizations, developed a vast cultural region in south-east Mexico and northern Central America, while the and culture dominated the, and the in western Mexico.Trade There is common academic agreement that significant systems of trading existed between the cultures of, and the, and the architectural remains and artifacts share a commonality of knowledge attributed to this trade network.

The routes stretched far into Mesoamerica and reached as far north to ancient communities that included such population centers in the United States such as at, and Ridge Ruin near (considered some of the finest artifacts ever located).Colonial era. A 16th-century manuscript illustrating and the contact of Spaniards and Aztecs.During the, the Spanish conquistadors, vastly outnumbered by indigenous peoples, used the ethnic diversity of the country and exploited the discontentment of the subjugated groups, making important alliances with rivals of the Aztecs.

While the alliances were decisive to the Europeans' victory, the indigenous peoples were soon subjugated by an equally impressive empire. However, as the Spanish consolidated their rule in what became the, the crown recognized the indigenous nobility in as nobles and kept the existing basic structure of indigenous city-states.

Indigenous communities were incorporated as communities under Spanish rule and with the indigenous power structure largely intact.As part of the Spanish incorporation of indigenous into the colonial system, the friars taught indigenous scribes to write their languages in Latin letters so that there are huge corpus of colonial-era documentation in the language, and Yucatec as well as others. Such a written tradition likely took hold because there was an existing tradition of pictorial writing found in many indigenous. Scholars have utilized the colonial-era alphabetic documentation in what is currently called the to illuminate the colonial experience of Mesoamerican peoples from their own viewpoints. Cemetery of.During the early colonial era in central Mexico, Spaniards were more interested in having access to indigenous labor than in ownership of land. The institution of the, a crown grant of the labor of particular indigenous communities to individuals was a key element of the imposition of Spanish rule, with the land tenure of indigenous communities continuing largely in its preconquest form.

The Spanish crown initially kept intact the indigenous sociopolitical system of local rulers and land tenure, with the eliminating the superstructure of rule, replacing it with Spanish. The crown had several concerns about the encomienda.

First was that the holders of encomiendas, called encomenderos were becoming too powerful, essentially a seigneurial group that might challenge crown power (as shown in the conspiracy by conqueror 's legitimate son and heir). Second was that the encomenderos were monopolizing indigenous labor to the exclusion of newly arriving Spaniards. And third, the crown was concerned about the damage to the indigenous vassals of the crown and their communities by the institution. Through the New Laws of 1542, the crown sought to phase out the encomienda and replace it with another crown mechanism of forced indigenous labor, known as the.

Indigenous labor was no longer monopolized by a small group of privileged encomienda holders, but rather labor was apportioned to a larger group of Spaniards. Natives performed low-paid or underpaid labor for a certain number of weeks or months on Spanish enterprises.The land of indigenous peoples is used for material reasons as well as spiritual reasons. Religious, cultural, social, spiritual, and other events relating to their identity are also tied to the land. Indigenous people use collective property so that the aforementioned services that the land provides are available to the entire community and future generations.

This was a stark contrast to the viewpoints of colonists that saw the land purely in an economic way where land could be transferred between individuals. Once the land of the indigenous people and therefore their livelihood was taken from them, they became dependent on those that had land and power. Additionally, the spiritual services that the land provided were no longer available and caused a deterioration of indigenous groups and cultures.

Colonial-era racial categories. 'The Civilization,' a mural by in the celebrates Mexico's indigenous historyThe greatest change came about as a result of the, a violent social and cultural movement that defined 20th century Mexico. The Revolution produced a national sentiment that the indigenous peoples were the foundation of Mexican society. Several prominent artists promoted the 'Indigenous Sentiment' ( sentimiento indigenista) of the country, including,.

Throughout the twentieth century, the government established bilingual education in certain indigenous communities and published free bilingual textbooks. Some states of the federation appropriated an indigenous inheritance in order to reinforce their identity. Maya mother and child inIn spite of the official recognition of the indigenous peoples, the economic underdevelopment of the communities, accentuated by the crises of the 1980s and 1990s, has not allowed for the social and cultural development of most indigenous communities. Thousands of indigenous Mexicans have emigrated to urban centers in Mexico as well as in the United States.

In Los Angeles, for example, the Mexican government has established electronic access to some of the consular services provided in Spanish as well as. Some of the Maya peoples of have revolted, demanding better social and economic opportunities, requests voiced by the. The of 1994 led to collaboration between the Mexican government and the, an indigenous political group. This large movement generated international media attention and united many indigenous groups. In 1996 the were negotiated between the Zapatista Army of National Liberation and the Mexican government. The San Andres accords were the first time that indigenous rights were acknowledged by the Mexican government.The government has made certain legislative changes to promote the development of the rural and indigenous communities and the preservation and promotion of their languages. The second article of the Constitution was modified to grant them the right of self-determination and requires state governments to promote and ensure the economic development of the indigenous communities as well as the preservation of their languages and traditions.Rights Constitutional.

Speed devils pc download. Statue of —a prominent military leader—at the north entrance to the City of Obregon, in Sonora, MexicoThe Spanish crown had legal protections of indigenous as individuals as well as their communities, including establishing a separate General Indian Court. The mid-nineteenth century liberal reform removed those, so that there was equality of individuals before Mexican law. Mexican radical liberal writer, journalist, teacher and politician.The history of in Mexico began when Spanish first made contact with Indigenous Languages during the colonial period.

During the early sixteenth century, mixing of races of culture, led to mixing of languages as well.The proclaimed Spanish to be the language of the empire; however, indigenous languages were used during conversion of individuals to Catholicism. Because of this, indigenous languages were more widespread than Spanish from 1523–1581. During the late sixteenth century, the status of Spanish language increased.By the seventeenth century, the elite minority were Spanish speakers.After independence in 1821 there was a shift to Spanish to legitimize the Mexican Spanish created by the Mexican criollos. Since then, indigenous tongues were discriminated against and seen as not modern. The nineteenth century brought with it programs to provide at where they would eventually transition to Spanish only education. Linguistic uniformity was sought out to strengthen national identity; however, this left indigenous languages out of power structures.The of 1994 led to collaboration between the Mexican government and the, an indigenous political group. In 1996 the were negotiated between the Zapatista Army of National Liberation and the Mexican government.

The San Andres accords were the first time that indigenous rights were acknowledged by the Mexican government. The San Andres Accords did not explicitly state language but language was involved in matters involving culture and education.In 2001, the was changed to acknowledge indigenous peoples and grant them protection.

The second article of the constitution of Mexico recognizes and enforces the right of indigenous peoples and communities to self-determination and therefore their autonomy to:. Preserve and enrich their language, knowledge, and every part of their culture and identity.

Mexican musician, singer, and composer of Maya descentIn 2003, the explicitly stated the protection of individual and collective linguistic rights of indigenous peoples. The final section also sanctioned the creation of a whose purpose is to promote the growth of indigenous languages in Mexico.However, there has been a lack of enforcement of the law. For example, the General Law on Linguistic Rights of Indigenous People guarantees the right to a trial in the language of indigenous peoples with someone who understands their culture.

According to the, Mexico has not abided by this law. Examples of this include, an indigenous woman who was imprisoned for kidnapping in 2006. After three years and the assistance of she was released for lack of evidence.Additionally, the General Law on Linguistics also guarantees bilingual and intercultural education.

However, it is a common complaint that teachers do not know the indigenous language or do not prioritize teaching the indigenous language. In fact, some studies argue that formal education has decreased the prevalence of indigenous languages.Some parents do not teach their children their indigenous language and some children refuse to learn their indigenous language for fear that they will be discriminated against. Scholars argue that there needs to be a social change to elevate the status of indigenous languages in order for the law to be withheld so that indigenous languages are protected. A and actressIndigenous women are often taken advantage of because they are women, indigenous, and often poor. Indigenous culture has been used as a pretext for Mexican government to enact laws that deny human rights to women such as the right to own land.

Additionally, violence against women has been regarded by the Mexican government as a cultural practice. The government has enforced impunity of the exploitation of indigenous women by its own government including by the military.The accepted a Revolutionary Law for Women on March 8, 1993. The law is not fully enforced but shows solidarity between the indigenous movement and women. The Mexican government has increased militarization of indigenous areas which makes women more susceptible to harassment through military abuses.Indigenous women are forming many organizations to support each other, improve their position in society, and gain financial independence. Indigenous women use national and international legislation to support their claims that go against cultural norms such as domestic violence.Reproductive justice is an important issue to indigenous communities because there is a lack of development in these areas and is less access to maternal care. Programs such as have been used to encourage indigenous women to seek formal health care.

Demographics. Map of Mexican states by percentage self-identifying as indigenous (2015) States The majority of the indigenous population is concentrated in the central and southern states. According to the CDI, the with the greatest percentage of indigenous population as of 2015 are:., 65.73%., 65.40%., 44.54%., 44.44%., 36.21%., 36.15%., 35.28%., 33.92%., 29.25%., 28.11%., 27.69%., 25.77%., 25.24%., 23.20%., 22.18%., 20.43%., 19.17%., 17.83%., 17.00%., 14.47%., 12.83%., 11.69%., 11.28%., 11.12%., 9.13%., 8.80%., 8.54%., 7.94%., 7.61%., 6.93%., 6.88%., 6.30%Population genetics.