Assignment 3a

Pre-Columbian is a term that encompasses the history of the Americas, both before and after the recording of events, up to the time of European contact that changed the cultures and people. Many cultures lived in the Americas for thousands of years before they were affected by European contact. Since the contact changed and ended so many cultures and peoples, it is considered a different period of history. Therefore, the term refers to the periods in the Americas before European contact, most notably before the influence of Chrisopher Columbus from Spain.
______________________________________________________________________

I chose the P'urhépecha, also known as Tarascan or Purepeche, indigenous group of Mesoamerica. I chose this group because I have heard a little bit about them in other classes, but never actually studied them any closer.

They occupied the present-day state of Michoacán, which is where my husband grew up and where I’ll be moving in less than a year. I want to know as much history about the area as possible before I move, and this seems like a good opportunity. My first source is a YouTube video called “Purepeche: A History,” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRz_Qmr94wI&feature=related). It tells about the structure of the civilization, their military strength, calendar, and other basic historical information. My second source is an article from El Instituto Lingüístico de Verano in Mexico, which provides a more detailed history and understanding of the people (http://www.sil.org/mexico/tarasca/00i-tarasca.htm). It has information ranging from their possible origins, to their language, to their infamously strong military.

The Purepeche had one of the strongest army’s in Pre-Columbian Latino America. Although the Aztecs tried in a full scale war, they were never able to defeat the Purepeche army, at one time loosing half their warriors in one battle. Arguable the strongest army in Mesoamerica, the Purepeche were the first match to the Aztec army. The Purepeche army was vast, as was the empire, which is strongly protected.

The Purepeche language, called Purepeche, is unique because it is not related or connected to any other language in the world. While most languages are linked to other languages by grammar, structure, or vocabulary, Purepeche is not. It is spoken in Michoacán today with regional dialectal differences. Purepeche has been studied by linguists all over the world, but continues to have many mysteries because of the little known about the Purepeche before Spanish influence.

The hummingbird was a sacred animal that the Purepeche believed represented life, freedom, and courage. Their capital at Lake Patzcuaro, Tzintzuntzan, means “the place of the hummingbird.” It was so important to the people that the king had an intricate headdress made with hummingbird feathers. The hummingbird was a symbol of pride for the Purepeche, who used it in their art frequently.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Sources

My first source is the “Purepeche: A History” video, which was created by Indigenous TV. Indigenous TV is a Native American production company that produces videos on many different topics. The video is credible because the poster is the director of Indigenous TV, and he gives a lot of information about Indigenous TV and even some of the sources for the video. It is a thorough, professional, and seemingly accurate video. My second source is an article called “Tarascan Family” from El Istituto Lingüístico de Verano, which is a non-profit organization that studies the indigenous languages of Mexico, with a focus on the languages that have few speakers who can read and write. It was founded by a “distinguished indigenist” in 1936 with the support of the government. It does important research and recording of indigenous Mexican languages, as publishes dictionaries, grammars, literacy materials, traditional stories, and translated Biblical texts.