Purépecha

Purepecha
	Purepecha children at the 2015 Muestra de Indumentaria Tradicional de Ceremonias y Danzas de Michoacán
Total population
	141,177 (2015 census)
Regions with significant populations
	Michoacán, México California, Oregon, Washington
Languages
	Purepecha
Religion
	Roman Catholicism, Purepecha religion

The Purepecha or Tarascans (endonym Western Highland Purepecha: P'urhepecha ) are a group of indigenous people centered in the northwestern region of Michoacán, Mexico, mainly in the area of the cities of Cheran and Patzcuaro.

They are also known by the pejorative "Tarascan", an exonym, applied by outsiders and not one they use for themselves.

The Purepecha occupied most of Michoacán but also some of the lower valleys of both Guanajuato and Jalisco. Celaya, Acambaro, Cerano, and Yurirapundaro. Now, the Purepecha live mostly in the highlands of central Michoacán, around Lakes Patzcuaro and Cuitzeo.

History[]

Prehispanic history[]

It was one of the major empires of the Pre-Columbian era. The capital city was Tzintzuntzan. Purepecha architecture is noted for step pyramids in the shape of the letter "T". Pre-Columbian Purepecha artisans made feather mosaics that extensively used hummingbird feathers, which were highly regarded as luxury goods throughout the region.

The Purepecha empire was never conquered by the Aztec Empire, in fact there is no record of the Aztecs ever defeating them in battle. This was most likely due to the presence of metal ores within their empire, and their knowledge of metallurgy, which was far superior to that of the Aztecs [1]; such skills have persisted in their descendants and are still widely regarded today, particularly their coppersmithing. Even though they were enemies with the Aztecs, the Aztecs still traded with them, mainly for metal tools and weapons.

Spanish Era 1525-1821[]

Cristóbal de Olid

After hearing of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire and having the native population much diminished by an epidemic of smallpox, the cazonci Tangaxuan II pledged his allegiance as a vassal of the King of Spain without a fight in 1525. It is believed that the Spanish conquistador Cristóbal de Olid, upon arriving in the Tarascan State, now in present-day Michoacán, explored some parts of Guanajuato in the early 1520s. A legend relates of a 16- or 17-year-old Purépecha, Princess Eréndira, who led her people into a fierce war against the Spanish. Using stolen Spanish horses, her people learned to ride into battle. In 1529 to 1530, the Spanish forces entered Michoacán and some parts of Guanajuato with an army of 500 Spanish soldiers and more than 10,000 Indian warriors.

Then, in 1530, the president of the Real Audiencia, Nuño de Guzmán, a conquistador notorious for his ruthlessness and brutality towards the natives, plundered the region and executed Tangaxuan II, destroying the Purépecha State and provoking a chaotic situation and widespread violence. In 1533, the Crown sent an experienced Oidor (Judge of the Audiencia) and later bishop, Don Vasco de Quiroga, who established a lasting colonial rule. The lands of the Purépecha was subjected to serious deforestation during the Spanish Colonial period.^[2]

Post-independence history[]

Cárdenas era[]

"La historia de Michoacán", mural in the Biblioteca Gertrudis Bocanegra, Pátzcuaro, Michoacán (1941-1942)

La Quinta Eréndira in Pátzcuaro

Following the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) Michoacan experienced political unrest. When former revolutionary general Lázaro Cárdenas, originally from a small town in Michoacan, was appointed governor of his state, he began an ambitious program of reform and economic development, which he continued when he became president of Mexico (1934–40). For him, the indigenous heritage of Michoacan was foundational for the construction of Mexico's post-revolutionary identity. Although the Aztecs loomed large in Mexican history and the construction of identity, Cárdenas saw the Purépecha as "purer" source. The Purépecha had never been conquered by the Aztecs, but in the era of the Spanish conquest, the resistance of the Purépecha was a point of regional pride. In particular, Cárdenas promoted the story of Princess Eréndira who is said to have fought against the Spanish.^[3] He named the house he built in Pátzcuaro "La Quinta Eréndira" and commissioned muralists to depict Purépecha history in his residence and elsewhere.^[4] Purépecha traditions of folkloric performance became a source of indigenista pride.^[5]

Fishermen in Lake Pátzcuaro

Out-migration from Michoacan[]

In the late twentieth and early twenty-first century social scientists have studied Purépecha out-migration from the region.^[6]^[7]

Religion[]

Many traditions live on, including the Jimbani Uexurhina (New Year), which is celebrated on February 2. It has both traditional indigenous and Catholic elements. The community lights a fire, called the chijpiri jimbani or "new fire," as part of a ceremony that honors the four elements. Mass is also celebrated in the Purhépecha language.

Culture[]

The Purépecha are mainly subsistence farmers. They are also known for their skill in weaving and pottery. Many live in wooden cabins within compounds surrounded by dry-stone walls. However, many of these structures are being replaced with homes made out of brick and concrete. One distinctive practice of the Purépecha include the baptization of newborns after forty days of separate rest for the mother and child. The infant is then swaddled for six weeks and kept in physical contact with the mother or a close female relative.^[8]

Language[]

A bilingual Purepécha/Spanish school in the Purépecha community of Janitzio, Michoacán

The Purépecha language is spoken by nearly 200,000 people in Michoacán. Since Mexico's 2000 indigenous language law, indigenous languages like Purépecha were granted official status equal with Spanish in the areas in which they are spoken. Recently, educational instruction in Purépecha has been introduced in the local school systems. Additionally, many Purépecha communities offer classes and lessons in the language.

In popular culture[]

Princess Eréndira of the Purépecha was depicted in the 2006 film Erendira Ikikunari (Erendira the Untameable)

Brief sociological context[]

The Purépecha people in Michoacán have low socioeconomic mobility. It is not common for individuals to go to school past the sixth grade roughly and there is very little accessible healthcare services. The Purépecha folk rely heavily on fishing for their sustenance as well as tourism in the area. There remains little research about the Purépecha people so thus, there are little available resources to provide the people with. Indigenous peoples in Mexico are part of the lowest socioeconomic classes.

References[]

^ "Purepecha". 26 December 2016.
^ "Research paper" (PDF). www.unesco.org.uy (in Spanish).
^ *Ramírez Barreto, Ana Cristina, "'Eréndira a caballo': Acoplamiento de cuerpos e historias en un relato de conquista y resistencia". e-misférica: Sexualities and Politics in the Americas, 2 no. 2 (2005)1-19.
^ Jolly, Jennifer. Creating Pátzcuaro, Creating Mexico: Art, Tourism, and Nation Building Under Lázaro Cárdenas. Austin: University of Texas Press 2018
^ Hellier-Tinoco, Ruth. Embodying Mexico: Tourism, Nationalism, and Performance. New York: Oxford University Press 2011.
^ Anderson, Warren. "P’urépecha migration into the US Rural Midwest: History and current trends." Indigenous Mexican Migrants in the United States, edited by Jonathan Fox and Gaspar Rivera-Salgado, La Jolla: University of California, San Diego, Center for Comparative Immigration Studies/Center for US-Mexican Studies (2004).
^ Marr, Paul, and Christopher Sutton. "Demographic changes in the Purepecha region of Michoacan, Mexico: 1970-2000." Journal of Latin American Geography (2004): 52-66.
^ Winston, Robert, ed. (2004). Human: The Definitive Visual Guide. New York: Dorling Kindersley. p. 364. ISBN 0-7566-0520-2.

External links[]

P'urhépecha WEB Page and Community
P'urhépecha Literature
Beautiful P'urhépecha women
P'urhépecha mother with her son
Chap. 9: The Twilight of the Gods: The Arrival of the Purépecha (Cycles of the Sun, Mysteries of the Moon; includes area map)

[1] "Purepecha". 26 December 2016.

[2] "Research paper" (PDF). www.unesco.org.uy (in Spanish).

[3] *Ramírez Barreto, Ana Cristina, "'Eréndira a caballo': Acoplamiento de cuerpos e historias en un relato de conquista y resistencia". e-misférica: Sexualities and Politics in the Americas, 2 no. 2 (2005)1-19.

[4] Jolly, Jennifer. Creating Pátzcuaro, Creating Mexico: Art, Tourism, and Nation Building Under Lázaro Cárdenas. Austin: University of Texas Press 2018

[5] Hellier-Tinoco, Ruth. Embodying Mexico: Tourism, Nationalism, and Performance. New York: Oxford University Press 2011.

[6] Anderson, Warren. "P’urépecha migration into the US Rural Midwest: History and current trends." Indigenous Mexican Migrants in the United States, edited by Jonathan Fox and Gaspar Rivera-Salgado, La Jolla: University of California, San Diego, Center for Comparative Immigration Studies/Center for US-Mexican Studies (2004).

[7] Marr, Paul, and Christopher Sutton. "Demographic changes in the Purepecha region of Michoacan, Mexico: 1970-2000." Journal of Latin American Geography (2004): 52-66.

[8] Winston, Robert, ed. (2004). Human: The Definitive Visual Guide. New York: Dorling Kindersley. p. 364. ISBN 0-7566-0520-2.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

show v t Indigenous peoples of Mexico
More than 100,000 people	Nahua Maya Zapotec Mixtec Otomi Totonac Tzotzil Tzeltal Mazahua Mazatec Huastec Chʼol Chinantec Purépecha Mixe Tlapanec Tarahumara	Mexico portal
20,000–100,000 people	Mayo Zoque Chontal Maya Popoluca Chatino Amuzgo Tojolabal Huichol Tepehuán Triqui Cora Mam Yaqui Cuicatec Huave
1,000–20,000 people	Tepehua Kanjobal Pame Chichimeca Jonaz Guarijio Chuj Chocho Tacuate Mexicanero Ocuiltec Pima Bajo Jacaltec
Less than 1,000 people	Kekchí Lacandon Ixcatecos Seri K'iche' Motozintleco Kaqchikel Paipai Tohono O'odham Cucapá Kumiai Kikapú Cochimí Ixil Kiliwa Awakatek Opata