Danza Mexi'cayotl is traditional

Chicano Chicano (masculine form) or Chicana (feminine form) is an ethnic identity for Mexican Americans that emerged from the Chicano Movement. In the 1960s, ''Chicano'' was widely reclaimed among Hispanics in the building of a movement toward politic ...

dance circle of families in

San Diego California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the eighth-most populous city in the United States. San Diego is the seat of ...

. This traditional group is based on the teachings of "La Danza Conchera" (also known by the names of "Danza Azteca," "Danza Chichimeca," "Danza de Conquista,"). La Danza Conchera is a complex social/spiritual organization based on the

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era, also known as the pre-contact era, or as the pre-Cabraline era specifically in Brazil, spans from the initial peopling of the Americas in the Upper Paleolithic to the onset of European col ...

traditions of the Otomi/Chichimeca nations of Queretaro, and of the Nahuatl-speaking

Tlaxcalteca The Tlaxcallans, or Tlaxcaltec, are an indigenous Nahua people who originate from Tlaxcala, Mexico. The Confederacy of Tlaxcala was instrumental in overthrowing the Aztec Empire in 1521, alongside conquistadors from the Kingdom of Spain. The T ...

n, Mexi'ca, and other Indigenous nations of central Mexico., Danza Mexi'cayotl was found on Dec. 12, 1980 at the hill of Tepeyacac, in Mexico City. Capitán Mario E. Aguilar Cuauhtlehcoc Quetzalcoatl, a 26-year-old Chicano was the first Chicano recognized by some of the major elders of La Danza Azteca/Conchera. Among the elders given Aguilar recognition were General Flroencio Yescas, Generala Juanita Hernandez de la Palabra del General Francisco Diaz, Capitana Rosita Maya Hernandez, Manuel and Mario Andres Pineda, Los Hermanos Placencia of Guadalajara, Miguel Avalos, Felipe Aranda,Eladio Aguillon of Queretaro, and Moises Gonzales Barrios. Tepeyacac was the pre-columbian center for the worship of "Toci Teteoinan Tonanzin" (

Nahuatl Nahuatl ( ; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahuas, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller popul ...

for "our grandmother, the gods, their mother, our revered mother). Tonantzin was a Mexi'ca (Aztec) goddess who originally was a Culhua princess given by her father to be the wife of the Mexi'ca tribal god Huitziloppochtli Danza Mexi'cayotl was founded by Capitán Mario E. Aguilar Cuauhtlehcoc Quetzalcoatl when he was ordered to Mexico City to be given the title of CAPITAN, or leader/elder of a traditional dance circle, by his Maestro, General Florencio Yescas. Aguilar had also learned from Andres Segura and the White Roots of peace. In 1987, in order to continue and expand its role in teaching and preserving the Indigenous heritage of la Danza, Danza Mexi'cayotl incorporated as a California non-profit corporation, "The Mexi'cayotl Indio Cultural Center" (MICC). MICC is dedicated to teaching and preserving the Indigenous cultures of México and the southwestern United States. In 1992 MICC received recognition for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as a community based, non-profit

501(c)(3) organization A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

that is dedicated to bringing knowledge of the Indigenous/Mestizo living traditions of Mexico back to the Chicano/Latino communities of the U.S. Danza Mexi'cayotl, through MICC has collected this knowledge from Indigenous and

mestizo ( , ; fem. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturall ...

people that still live the traditional ways of life, as well as from academic, scientific, and artistic sources that have carried out rigorous research using western and non-western hermeneutics and ontologies to document, and teach living mesoamerican cultural, linguistic, and spiritual traditions. Danza Mexi'cayotl is a collective of Chican, Mexicano, and Latinoamericano persons who are interested in creating a "third space" of an Indigenous community that gives a safe, nurturing place for people who are accepted neither within the dominant U.S. culture, nor the communities of Mexico. Chicanos, because of their skin color, language, and cultural heritage will never be seen as truly "American" by some members of white U.S. society. And because many Chicanos do not speak Spanish, and are closely identified with the Anglo-Saxon culture of the U.S.,they will always remain as outsiders or "gringos" to many Mexicans. Danza Mexi'cayotl makes this knowledge, available to students, teachers, and others who want to begin their journey into a more traditional way of life. Danza Mexi'cayotl focuses on serving multicultural youth, especially those low- income families that may not have other opportunities to gain access to traditional and living knowledge. Using traditional media such as oral, musical, and choreographic semiotics, and modern means of communication (websites, Facebook, Adobe Acrobat .PDF files and blogs), Danza Mexi'cayotl, through MICC, has extended is educational outreach to the entire globe. Capitáan Mario Aguilar, Danza Mexi'cayotl, and The Mexi'cayotl Indio Cultural Center are routinely cited in Master's thesis, doctoral dissertations and news articles. Danza Mexi'cayotl is a circle of community residents, parents, artists, teachers, and counselors who dedicate their lives to diversity and social justice. Danza Mexi'cayotl works and prays for the cultural, spiritual, ecological, economic and political florescence of future generations on the Mother Earth. Danza Mexi'cayotl has performed throughout the Southwestern U.S. including the world famous Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial. While almost all danzantes have some Indigenous Mexican ancestry, very few of them are considered Indigenous people by the standards of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

or by any national government.

References

Rostas, S. (2009). Carrying the word : the Concheros dance in Mexico City. Boulder, Colo., University Press of Colorado. {{Reflist

External links

* http://www.mexicayotl.net
Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial
official website Chicano Indigenismo in Mexico Indigenismo in the United States Mexican-American culture in San Diego

See also

References

External links