The
Nahua tribe are primarily, but not limited to, located within Mexico. They are
the largest Indian group and form almost twenty-three percent of the native
population within Mexico. The Nahua are descendants of the Aztecs and have
therefore expanded their regions substantially. In effect, the numbers of Nahua
people have gradually increased over the years and have spread into various
geographical locations. Regarding their dominant region, Mexico, they reside in
four key areas which comprise of the Huasteca, the northern Sierra de Puebla,
the southern Sierra de Puebla, and Morelos and Guerrero.
According to the census of 1990, a survey was
taken in order to acquire a precise quantity of Nahua people residing within
these regions. The Nahuas that were taken into account were required to be
native speakers and be over the age of five. The Nahua of the Huasteca have a
native speaking population of around 385,032. The Nahuas located within the
northern Sierra de Puebla reached a census of 194,739 and in the southern
Sierra de Puebla they reached 203,785. Lastly, the Nahuas are far more
dispersed in Morelos and Guerrero, reaching a census of 98,254 and border the
regions of the Tlapanec and Mixtec.
References:
Advameg
INC. N.d. Nahua Peoples. Electronic document, http://www.everyculture.com/Middle-America-Caribbean/Nahua-Peoples.html, Accessed March 26, 2014.
It is clear that the culture of the Nahua people is extremely strong since they have tribes located all over Mexico. This is also demonstrated through the indigenous group percentage of the Nahua within Mexico. However, it is also noticeable that their regions are expanding. This is a factor due to globalization and is causing the Nahua people to border the regions of other tribes, possibly forcing the different tribes to interact. Now, this at first may not seem horrible, but it is dangerous to each of their cultures. The Nahua must remain within their regions in order to preserve their traditions.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, this is insightful and greatly appreciated, but a bit too brief. I would also like you to apply some anthropological reflection based on what you have watched in class, or the readings or lectures. I talked about the Awajun and influences of globalization. You can add that too. You will also need to fix your references to make them AAA style. Good job! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteActually, my bad. your references are perfect. As a matter of fact, do share your expertise on writing the refs like that with the folks in your group. That is what I mean by articulation and making things consistent. Great job! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSince you discuss the census and being native speakers of the language, why not include a comment of those who do not speak the language anymore, and then link it to the film "WE STILL LIVE HERE," This is just one way to link this to course content. YOU can add content to the reflective post after the presentation tomorrow, but you can still address this - if you remember the film in class - during your presentation, just a thought so course content can be included. Thanks
ReplyDeleteIt is clear that the culture of the Nahua people is tremendously strong because they have tribes located all throughout Mexico. This is also demonstrated through the indigenous group percentage of the Nahua. However, it is also important to notice that because their population is increasing within their regions, their geographical areas are also expanding and causing the people to mix with the surrounding cultures. This is a factor due to globalization and is causing the Nahua people to border the regions of other tribes, possibly forcing the different tribes to interact. This situation is also portrayed within the film “We Still Live Here” and its focus and goals can also be applied to the Nahua people.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to the Wampanoags, the Nahua people are exposed to surrounding cultures. This is noticeable within the two pictures depicting two types of Nahua. In the first image, the people are dressed in their native clothing. The second image depicts the Nahua in westernized clothing and is clear that that culture is beginning to cling to theirs. The film also depicts the importance of having children speaking Nahuatl as their native language. The younger a child is when he or she begins to speak, the stronger their comprehension and pronunciation of that language will be. This is why the 2009 census only took into account the children that were native speakers because those who spoke English or Spanish would not most likely not continue the Nahua traditions.
Although there are various cultures and languages spoken in Central and Southern America, it is important for the cultures to be contained within their own regions in order for the culture to prosper. The increase in population has caused the Nahua people to expand their region and intermix with various tribes as well as the Mexican people causing their beliefs and traditions to mix with those of the Nashua people. These factors are in danger of leading up to the eventual complete loss of the language and culture of the Nahua.
1990 Census*
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