The festivals of San Miguel in the municipality of Tolimán, performed by the Ñöñhö (Otomí) indigenous community of the Querétaro Mexican state, include different celebrations. This article focuses on ...two such celebrations: the Danza de Conquista and the ritual of the chimal. I approach these two celebrations as elements of Ñöñhö identity making and as illustrations of the resilience of the people of Tolimán who rejected the proposal to have the festivals recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. In June and July of 2021, I interviewed participants in the festivals and representatives of cultural institutions that promote them. My fieldwork was guided by a series of key questions: (a) What are the meanings of the chimal for Tolimanenses? (b) How do Tolimanenses see emigration to the United States, and in what ways do people who emigrate there maintain links with these festive traditions? (c) what were the steps of the process that led to the proposal to have UNESCO designate the festivals as Intangible Cultural Heritage? My research reveals the festivals as having a transformative power of resilience, belonging, and identity validation.
Tomando la cosmovisión indígena para abordar males emocionales-espirituales, en este trabajo exploro la película mexicana La tirisia (2014) de Jorge Pérez Solano, desde una perspectiva antropológica, ...pues presenta una de estas enfermedades culturales que se manifiesta como tristeza y desolación. La protagonista, Cheba, se ve afectada de esta manera después de haber abandonado a su hijo recién nacido, producto de una relación extramarital. En este contexto, además de estudiar sus síntomas y tratamiento, también examino sus necesidades que surgen en un marco socioeconómico moderno y que la llevan a tomar decisiones paradójicas. Asimismo, analizo cómo este mal es una alegoría de lo que vive un pueblo en un mundo global. Todos los personajes tienen alguna razón por la que padecen tirisia, los motivos van desde los emocionales hasta los materiales porque el personaje se siente atrapado en la precariedad, por ello argumento que este padecimiento se refleja en la condición del pueblo entero y aun del país. Esta enfermedad debida principalmente al abandono del individuo se extiende al abandono de toda una población por parte de quien se supone que debe velar por su seguridad. Aunque no es el enfoque de la película, se deja ver la situación de violencia y abandono social y económico que padece un pueblo que está sumido en la desolación, misma que se refleja tanto en el paisaje como en cada uno de sus habitantes. Pérez Solano retoma un aspecto de las culturas originarias y lo actualiza en un contexto político, social, económico y emocional contemporáneo. De esta manera, lo que ha sido una enfermedad cultural individual se conecta con la colectividad que vuelve a sus raíces para sobrellevar las complicaciones del presente.
El bastón de mando es un elemento importante en varias culturas indígenas de México como la de los chichimecas-otomíes representados por los danzantes Concheros del estado de Querétaro. En este ...trabajo analizo el performance hecho políticamente (Linchentfel y Rouse) en la entrega de este elemento simbólico a dos figuras políticas (presidente municipal y gobernador) dentro del marco de dos ceremonias conmemorativas, una de carácter político y otra cultural y espiritual. Asimismo, indago cómo por una parte la identidad indígena se opone al estado (Friedman) pero es también un aliado que puede proteger derechos civiles y tal vez proporcionar nuevas oportunidades (Haley).
Los elementos que han construido los conceptos de identidad cultural y nacional mexicana e indígena se dan cita en la novela Ese príncipe que fui (2015) de Jordi Soler. En ella se cuenta la historia ...de Federico Grau, último descendiente de la princesa Xipaguazin, una de las hijas del emperador azteca Moctezuma que llegó a Barcelona desposada por Juan de Grau, uno de los conquistadores que acompañó a Cortés. Este ensayo propone una lectura que (de)construye los conceptos de identidad cultural y nacional a partir del performance y la parodia. Es decir, el protagonista construye una identidad mexicana con elementos indígenas y los presenta a partir de varios performances donde se observan elementos paródicos, ya que subyacen textos que van desde discursos y ensayos canónicos, hasta símbolos visuales, entre otros.
The elements that have been used to construct concepts of Mexican cultural identity and nationality as well as indigenous identity are present in the novel Ese príncipe que fui (2015) by Jordi Soler. This novel tells the story of Federico Grau, last descendent of the princess Xipaguazin, one of the daughters of the Aztec emperor Moctezuma, who arrived in Barcelona married to Juan de Grau, one of the conquerors that accompanied Cortes. This essay proposes a (de)constructive reading of the concepts of cultural and national identity through performance and parody. The protagonist constructs a Mexican identity with indigenous elements and presents them in performances, in which different parodic elements can be identified. Such elements are drawn from canonic essays, cultural discourses, and visual symbols among other sources.
Alas a la palabra (2008) is a book of memoirs that speaks to the cultural and personal experiences of the hñähñu (or otomí) author Adela Calva Reyes, born in the community of San Ildefonso in the ...state of Hidalgo, Mexico. The text offers the author’s memories interwoven with those narrated by her family. The memories present traditions, beliefs and events in the community that are also intertwined with the hñähñu worldview. Furthermore, some of the family stories denounce the pervasive scarcity and gender violence. The voices that converge in the discourse belong to departed ones, figures that are either dead or banished from the town. Based on the works of Jacques Derrida and Avery Gordon, this article analyzes the text from a spectrality perspective in order to examine these ghostly voices’ presence as a form of denounce and as a social figure that unveils a colonial system, which is still haunting postcolonial nations.
This study is a close analysis of dance, theatre and ritual of pre-Hispanic origin in México. Specifically, I examine the “Loa para el auto sacramental” of El divino Narciso by Sor Juana Inés de la ...Cruz, the dance of Los Concheros from the state of Querétaro, theatre and ritual performed by the Centro Cultural Mascarones from the state of Morelos, the Danza Azteca practiced in California, the Teatro Campesino by Luis Valdez, and the Teatro Chicano by Carlos Morton. In these select cultural manifestations we see that social, political and religious dynamics stand out, both on and off stage. The “Loa para el auto sacramental” of El divino Narciso by Sor Juana presents the worldview of the Mesoamerican people with little of the prejudice of the Spanish culture. At the same time she proposes a political, social and religious project that includes the participation of both indigenous and Spanish cultures. In chapter two I analyze the influence of the Catholic church in the dance of Los Concheros today. This is a dynamic of cultural survival and imposition that started with the work of missionaries during the period of the conquest and subsequent colonization that introduced Christian elements into the traditional dance of these regions. In chapter three, I study the influence of indigenous culture in contemporary theater; specifically, the play about the life of Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl. Mascarones have worked in collaboration with indigenous communities, salvaging the theatrical traits of pre-Hispanic cultures, and extending that project into aspects of quotidian life. In the last chapter I trace the emergence and development of dance and theatre that has transcended from its origin to present day performances abroad. I expose the dynamic between Mexican traditions and the political, social, and economical circumstances of the Chicano and Mexican immigrant communities in the United States.
PDF
