Nimexikatl!!!

Nimexikatl!!! - I am Mexikatl!!
By Kurly Tlapoyawa

In recent years, I have noticed that many Chicano-Mexicanos appear antagonistic and resentful towards those who identify themselves as "Mexikah." Instead of engaging in a meaningful discussion regarding this identity, opponents of the Mexikah identity often resort to launching slurs and insults at those they disagree with. To the "anti-Mexikah" group, it seems that having a different perspective or opinion than their own is somehow inherently wrong and deserving of attack. I believe that these attacks stem from a basic misunderstanding of what the Mexikah identity truly means.

Historically speaking, the Mexikah identity is relatively young. It wasn't until after leaving Aztlan in the year Ze Tekpatl (1064 AD) that the followers of Mexihtli-Witzilopochtli adopted the name "Mexikah" in order to identify themselves as the followers of Mexihtli. Strictly speaking, the Mexikah identity is not restricted to any specific Indigenous ethnic group or pueblo - history shows this to be true. It is used to describe those who have chosen to follow a specific path. It is this path, known as Mexikayotl ("the essence of being Mexikah") which the people of Mexihtli have dedicated themselves to following. Just as a follower of Zapata is a Zapatista and a follower of Magon is a Magonista, a follower of Mexihtli is a Mexikah. How this basic fact has become cause for public derision and misguided attacks is beyond me.

There are even those who mistakenly believe that the struggle of Mexikayotl somehow started in the United States with organizations such as the Mexika Eagle Society and Mexica Movement, and that those who refer to themselves as Mexikah are restricted to these two organizations. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. The Mexikah identity experienced a widespread resurgence in Mexico when archaeologist Eulalia Guzman discovered the location of Kuauhtemok’s remains in 1949. The discovery of Kuauhtemok’s tomb, which had been concealed by Spanish priests at the XVI century Santa Maria de la Asuncion Church in Ixcateopan, Guerrero provided the needed spark for the revitalization of the Mexikah identity.

It was Kuauhtemok who served as the last Tlahtoani of Mexiko-Tenochtitlan, leading the final defense of the city against the Spanish invaders in 1521. Shortly before the fall of Tenochtitlan, Kuauhtemok issued a mandate for future generations of Anawakah, calling upon all of us to preserve and guard our traditions and history. This mandate has become the cornerstone and rallying cry of the Mexikah identity. Enslaved after the fall of Tenochtitlan, Kuauhtemok was put to death by order of Hernan Cortez in February 28, 1525.

It is my assertion that by claiming a Mexikah identity, you are not rejecting your Raramuri, Tlaxkalteka or Otomi ethnic heritage. Instead, you are embracing a living philosophy which represents our collective cultural heritage as Anawakah people. Whereas philosophies such as Mestizaje, Hispanidad, and Raza Cosmica seek to eliminate and reject our Indigenous cultural heritage, Mexikayotl and Anawakayotl are philosophies which embrace this heritage and actively promote our decolonization as Indigenous people.

I think the fact that the Mexikah identity does not pertain to a specific ethnic group can be made clear by examining the following question: were the followers of Zapata (Zapatistas) all ethnic Tlahuica from the pueblo of Anenecuilco? Of course, the answer is no. The Zapatistas were comprised of Indigenous people from various pueblos and ethnic groups. One might argue that to be a "true" Zapatista you had to follow Zapata himself, and since he is no longer present in physical form, you cannot be a Zapatista. Such "logic" is merely an attempt to discredit the present day Zapatistas - who themselves come from various Indigenous pueblos. Likewise, the followers of Mexihtli (Mexikah) are Indigenous people who come from various pueblos and ethnic groups - just as they did in the past. It is our common desire to unite as Anawakah and struggle for the liberation of our people which draws us to the Mexikah cause and the struggle of Mexikayotl. Just as the Zapatistas were (are) made up of various pueblos struggling under the unifying banner of Zapatismo, the Mexikah are made up of various pueblos struggling under the unifying banner of Mexikayotl.

History shows us that since the very beginning, the Mexikah were a multi-ethnic coalition united by their common vision. After all, it was eight distinct pueblos who initially participated in the migration from Aztlan, guided by Mexihtli-Witzilopochtli. In fact, if you were to visit the Zocalo in Mexiko-Tenochtitlan on any given weekend, you could see for yourself as Totonako, Mixteka, Chontal, Purepecha, Tlaxkaltekah and others gather as a united Mexikah front. This beautiful display of Indigenous unity is proof that the followers of Mexihtli remain a multi-ethnic Indigenous nation to this day. There are those who think that by promoting Mexikayotl as a unifying movement, we are attempting to “assimilate” distinct Indigenous ethnic groups into a generic “Mexikah” mold. A sort of “brown melting pot” if you will. This, of course, is entirely wrong. Mexikah exists as an identity for those who wish to embrace it - nobody is being forced to identify as Mexikah. Nor is anyone expected to reject or supplant their ethnic pueblo with another. Mexikayotl is a proud declaration that we will back eachother up as Indigenous people. It is a means by which we can come together to defend the sovereignty of Indigenous people as a unified force.

One could argue against this I suppose, but the fact remains that individuals already exist who speak their pueblo’s language, practice their pueblo’s traditions and retain the identity of their specific ethnic group - yet they also happen to identify as Mexikah and actively participate in Mexikayotl. This is a fact. It is already happening and is working quite well. No assimilation or loss of sovereignty has resulted from participating in Mexikayotl. Those who continue to intellectualize and argue against this fact are fighting an uphill battle of trying to prove something wrong which has already been proven correct. In fact, they are creating the very division which they claim Mexikayotl would be responsible for.

Mexikayotl is a multi-ethnic Indigenous philosophy which actively promotes the collective cultural heritage of Anawak as a true alternative to the colonialist occupation of our traditional lands. Mexikayotl provides a complete alternative to the repressive conditions we currently live under in the United States and throughout occupied Anawak. Since Mexikayotl promotes the collective cultural heritage of Anawak, it serves as a complete and viable system of economics, communal labor, collective decision making, education, warfare, science, cosmology, arts, food, and law. It is a complete social system based on equality and respect which was developed through the greatness of OUR ancestors and which reflects OUR cultural heritage. Mexikayotl eliminates the need to attach ourselves to foreign concepts and ideologies such as marxism, socialism, anarchism, and feminism - no matter how "revolutionary" they may claim to be.

Mexikayotl serves as a powerful tool of decolonization and empowerment, as it allows those who do not know which specific pueblo they come from to embrace an Indigenous identity and partake in the struggle for our land, liberty and cultural survival. Unfortunately, many of our people have been disconnected from their Anawakah cultural heritage as a result of 500+ years of imperialism and racism. The Mexikah identity provides a way of escaping this condition. Like "Zapatista," it is a term which carries profound significance. Also, those who follow Mexikayotl do not look down upon those Indigenous people who may be of mixed biological background. The concept of “Mestizaje” and the “Mestizo” are inventions of European imperialists who sought a way to divide the Indigenous people of Anawak and play us against eachother. Mexikayotl soundly rejects this paternalistic and divisive tool of internal colonization.

It is often said that "it does not matter what terms we use to call ourselves, since they are only labels." This is perhaps the weakest argument one could make, as it displays a high level of historical and societal ignorance. Obviously, there is a deep rooted psychological connection between what a person is called and their self-image. What we choose to call ourselves matters a great deal - labels carry deep meaning when associated with identity.

Unfortunately, many of our people have chosen to base their cultural identities on the Spanish language rather than their Indigenous heritage. They will proudly exclaim "I am Spanish!" because they think that speaking a certain language is reflective of their ethnicity. In the case of colonialist languages such as Spanish, nothing could be further from the truth. (Imagine American blacks declaring themselves to be English simply because they speak English). To be fair, it's not entirely our people's fault that this way of thinking continues to permeate our communities. After all, the methods of colonialism and demographic genocide employed by the invaders of these lands have distorted how we view ourselves and retarded our growth as a cohesive Indigenous people. The labels "Hispanic," “Latino," "Hispano" and “Indo-Hispano” were created and forced upon our people as a means of manipulating us into rejecting our Indigenous heritage and identifying as foreigners - even in our own traditional lands.

It should be noted that Mexikayotl and the Mexikah identity are not to be confused with Indigenismo. In fact, Mexikayotl is the ultimate rejection of Indigenismo. Initiated in the early twentieth Century in Mexico, Indigenismo is an oppressive ideology led by paternalistic non-Natives who desire to "improve" the lives of their countries' Indigenous people by assimilating them into the "national culture." Author Jorge Alejandro Ovando Sanz wrote in his book "Indigenismo" that "Indigenismo is the theory of members of the Latin American oligarchy to stop and repress the indigenous peoples' liberation movement." This sentiment is echoed by Indigenous delegates gathered at the Second Conference of Indian Nations and Organizations of South America in Tiwanaku, Bolivia, in 1983. Those at the conference stated that "Indigenismo must be rejected because it corresponds to the ideology of oppression." While Indigenismo stems from a racist non-Native perspective, Mexikayotl remains a movement which comes FROM Indigenous people and which serves the best interests OF Indigenous people in regards to decolonization and liberation.

It is my belief that by engaging in the struggle of Mexikayotl, we can undo the destructive effects of imperialism and racism, and work towards a society based on freedom, equality and respect. A society in which we can live with dignity and honor - where our cultural heritage is reflected in every aspect of our daily lives. It is this very struggle which I have dedicated myself to, and it is for this reason that I proudly declare: Nimexikatl!!! I am Mexikatl!!!


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