The Colonial Mixtec Community

Abstract

Indigenous communities in Mexico have intrigued generations of historians and anthropologists and have influenced the conceptualization of agrarian “folk” or “peasant” communities worldwide. Since at least the 1940s ethnographers have lived and worked in Mesoamerican communities, observing cultures in their own day while imagining the preconquest past.1 In the last three decades especially, historians have used both Spanish- and native-language sources from the colonial period to analyze the internal organization of indigenous communities, considering how these structures survived in altered yet recognizable forms after the Spanish conquest.2 In the past, both historical and anthropological studies focused on corporate communities such as the Nahua altepetl (local ethnic state), Maya cah, and the undifferentiated pueblo of modern Mexico; however, findings from the two disciplines are not usually integrated or even compared.3 In contrast to previous research, this article uses a variety of Mixtec- and Spanish-language sources to define the nature and internal organization of Mixtec communities in the sixteenth century, and examines some aspects of their reorganization and transformation during the colonial period.4 In particular, I focus on two components of the colonial community in the light of a recent ethnography from the Mixteca Alta region of Oaxaca.Mixtec-language writings reveal how individuals referred to the groups to which they belonged. The sources speak of the corporate community as a complex sociopolitical entity or multilevel structure, as well as a set of social relations and obligations.5 People identified and affiliated themselves with multiple overlapping “communities” or associations of households. Some ethnographers have addressed the same topic by listening to the ways in which indigenous people referred to their own communities. John Monaghan’s book, for example, shows how Mixtecs of modern-day Santiago Nuyoo talk about their community in terms of a big house, where people shelter and feed one another.6 In Nuyoo people spoke about various social acts related to these such as and or community the of this how Mixtecs in the colonial period about their communities as sociopolitical and and how and Spanish-language sources and in The examines two indigenous in the colonial period of the social acts in Monaghan’s ethnography by Mixtecs and about The the Mixtec or the a big the a of and in the and social relations and in the colonial The of the and the of to this day and Mixtec of sources with which I of by of the last and of community and to Spanish Since the not in the colonial Mixtec to to sociopolitical and in their own sources three from the to the of the on some in from to the Mixtec communities, the from the Mixteca to the of the not focus on a this on a of from communities in the from the Mixteca and from the of and the colonial this indigenous communities are well in a of in and Mexico I focus on and identified by a while and sources are to Spanish-language are sources of in of light on the I Spanish-language sources as well as native-language I to sources people from the Mixteca not the to to indigenous used the or on the to the communities, and and of the I this which used by people in the community as a and studies have on Spanish or terms to preconquest and colonial In their own however, used terms such as or to their sociopolitical organization and of to Spanish or complex Spanish-language sources how colonial indigenous in terms of their own and and how they to and and a on indigenous indigenous forms of organization not The to in to or terms with and the of this how they spoke about their communities in the colonial sources in the of the as a or even a as a to such as and In the colonial period and people to their own for by and for example, the three to as or the or and in the or to define terms such as and of a a a the in which they lived or and to the people in their The as to indigenous organization and as the altepetl in Mexico and the in the of the the Mixteca of and well a of the and in the however, as and referred to as in the as a from the of a and a the of a example, in the century, and and the from their the of both both last and in to the and the to in and writings as a one on a The a and or on a as a in the a for both the of and the as a the a and The or a Mesoamerican of or Nahua of the and the with the altepetl and The Nahua the a of or to Nahua and the the Nahua in from Mexico on a the and the and one a of and from two The of two from two by a or a of the preconquest survived the and of the colonial The in the and native-language sources and In the or for with a of Spanish such as a and and used terms in of the Mixteca by colonial of the Mixteca and the Mixteca and to a not one or the to not a which by a a In the not used in to which a example, indigenous the of and the of Santiago in from to in the a and the a and for these by In the Mixteca Alta and the used In the Mixteca the for a of the and in the of The these three from to three Nahua terms for of the and Indigenous worked with on the the Spanish as reveal for example, the as and as the and The in such as to a a a The of and for one and one one the the a In the colonial the of in a from to and and to the and the or not a example, for the pueblo which pueblo the are which and which both and with to a a a in the are by in where and to the of and example, of the of their a by of the The nature of these structures a complex of sociopolitical organization at the of the this in the or writings to the the to the Nahua altepetl and Maya cah, and complex the Nahua the The of this article the and Nahua community of the sixteenth century, and of however, to how Spanish and these structures in the colonial altered not the the in the they the by the and In terms of the a in this The of the sixteenth have to the of to by some of the to the from and to and and the of a with In and to a in the to the of a communities from to the and the of some structures themselves to the of a for The of this in terms of or example, the by to the of the and and referred to in some as People from to the and the of the century, the to not to the Spanish of to of to the with and a In however, the colonial not the of a Spanish the of for the in The Spanish on a by a not a of the preconquest not a even in where the of a and not or not with the complex and nature of sociopolitical the Mixteca in terms of with and with by the in a as and and as or of the In some to by the example, in the a from as and to with and or with the in a In the their and to the and The of not to and influenced by the or of in the and with the a considering the in the period by Nahua and influenced and reorganization not the of and in the Spanish of People to their own terms for and the the some which a from the not the same as the and a and as terms in and of in and The of which from the preconquest the century, such as and of the the colonial terms for of the as the in for example, to multiple are as as in the sociopolitical relations the various their structure, the or for these the sociopolitical relations and set the for the of from In the indigenous to the of a of organization as as the nature of the Spanish indigenous communities from the a which by the of the example, and from in and In the and of and in the Mixteca to or to the sociopolitical colonial for to the sociopolitical reorganization as well as the of of community in sociopolitical communities have in terms of structures and colonial to of community on social and relations the and recent anthropologists have focused on internal social relations and as of the The on social and acts as in the and of communities to and the of a corporate social relations to the of communities in the colonial The for example, a set of social and relations by a of their communities in and and relations social groups in the from the sixteenth The of the social relations and altered forms of which the nature of communities. studies some aspects of this transformation by considering the and the sociopolitical structures on three indigenous and and of the and and the of and addressed or referred to with The of or in ways the of the Nahua The a as which to the or which to the in with and and not and the of In during the sixteenth century, for the from the Mixteca of their as of In from Santiago a and of for from the on the they their own Spanish to to the have own and of as to of sociopolitical the Spanish however, and they even the of in the used the to a of a the of a in the and to in the and of and to the of a In the the Spanish of the of the two of the the of the a of in a in a from example, in and of the and in and the from they of and the as The Spanish of to the in even their not at In the a a the not in the colonial a and a Spanish the the in the The Spanish and by of their and the of Spanish in the and the or of lived in The the of the usually in Spanish-language with a or a Nahua and the of in the Mixteca to in In and with The of in as a complex of The of in in a to the In this structures are a with with one to the of the of the The Spanish on the or at least their of from the recent generations of the of the the at the of the of the of from from the the of as a which and the on or to on the where the to the of to the with and colonial The of or a by and of and the complex with and the the on a as a of The the of the in the on usually or in of a The the of a the of where the lived and The of in or of the The of to a on the social of the The on and or the in some The of the complex where they not a the the and of and the structure, and and from one of a to the of the and as a of of and Spanish acts of in The Spanish as the and by this The of a which a and by the Spanish or indigenous at the of the in the from in the the of the the of and on and the of the the of the focus on Spanish by the of to the from the to the of in Spanish to The of structures and by Spanish by the of a the and to Spanish of the how the and Spanish as a to and community The of on a a recognizable of to a The of and with the a of the and of the The the social and the social of to in the of and the of a a which to the and in both and on the of and the of and the of acts the of in as they in their own they to the and their In the same the and and acts of in a of the the of the and the to the of the Spanish not from the the Mixteca the a and to a example, in from a of the of in in the to the the which to this with a and with a the of Spanish on by this the to three in the of the and the of the and the of The to structures which in sociopolitical In of referred to in the as a of in referred to the of the The of in of a community in the Mixteca example, a for of the in the Mixteca of in which in the of of and the of The a of which and of and the and the of the a of the in the and in to the In and on the or The of a complex worked for The of the by a or where the and complex the of a as well as a of the Nahua of which usually referred to the of the the and from one to the usually with or referred to or a with of to the Nahua or in to used the in to their or the or or the to in or are in the colonial and of of of the of in in communities of the nature of with the by the and to to and of the by the on to and to and to the in for a of the as as and corporate to the and example, in the in a with the of from the for a of the in the of referred to or of the of the of and their of the and of the of this as of the they of the people of the of they not to the as a corporate the to with of the the Nahua of and the of the and In the to corporate the and altepetl to which the to to by community a not own with multiple on to their The to and not the to of by which at some by the not to the the and sociopolitical organization the some to or a in they by with a example, in the of to the of this with the of from the the In the of some to a in to The of about this of to their the to to they of to from the the complex and a in the of sociopolitical contrast to the of to the of sources to the or in to the of in the colonial the of on corporate of the corporate by and The to the Nahua and where have or the and corporate of the altepetl and the or in the Mixteca in the where referred to the and of as of their in the the Nahua or The referred as to a as a structure, a social entity as as the In Mexico the with the altepetl as the or of the and the of the and The Nahua of one one and one The Nahua of the to even to the a with a and The of altepetl in a where the as as the and the the same in the the Nahua and integrated the as the integrated the In to some the and of some of sociopolitical of for in the and the of the in the In the of Nahua for in Mexico by the the not in after the in Mexico not from corporate the of these in and related to the of and Nahua corporate communities. in the of the the of Spanish to the Mixteca and the of Spanish in the which to and to The Mixteca with the of in this where by the colonial the of the as to the of the or in Nahua sociopolitical not the same the and the or at least the entity to which as a big The big the and which The the of a and and for lived and In the as and in the and in the of the in the sixteenth they and the or in lived or in the example, in of and in by to and in this and to and Spanish previous and In to feed themselves and on a of and to in their in to and their and such as and and while and to the from the this by for of to the by and a of a of social in as in during this to the to The on and people to of and and and from the community in a of their to In the in by the to feed people and to the of the sixteenth century, Spanish of and which their and the in of in the of as while and by Spanish to and the of and of and to the and of to the worked for and have not to the of their and the of and Spanish for and In on colonial a the where to or by the colonial lived in the or as of the the as a for and a of for the The in the century, the as a structure, with a where a of the with the as In the in the of for In and they and to the the as a with and from the for of where they various and a of and the of the of Santiago a in the Mixteca John people talk about their community in terms of a big house, where people shelter and feed one The of the community as a big to the of the in the colonial Nahua and writings from the sixteenth identified a community with of the from the Mixteca in to the of and at the of the The of and shelter in the Nuyoo a by households. The of by the of a in in The the by their in and of and in the on a the a and a of and of in the in the big The by social relations in terms of of the colonial the of these and are the in the to the The of of the and of and to the or and as or to and the of a of at the and corporate the of the community the a of by the The forms of organization and preconquest from to for the to which by the in of the The the of while the and from various of the the of the however, from the of the sixteenth century, in the of the The the of by the not to have of community and the of in a a in the the or the The a of and by of the the of and The of the and the two of the colonial corporate the as to the and the on preconquest with and the the to some of from their in the sixteenth century, as and example, in the of of the and of and a by and In and of the of the same as In for example, the of and the and of and Spanish and to the of Spanish The Spanish and with to their in Since the of to not in communities the of this or from in colonial the colonial the of the with the of to for of how the of the by indigenous and in the light of preconquest the The as and as In referred to as the the the for used as a the and of of The and the to the Nahua The of Spanish for some of these of the colonial period they on preconquest The with in the colonial for example, the or the of with and or on of the The nature of the community and the the from a the in not in however, they of and the on the a of and to the and of the the organization of and from the to the social which by the the the of their the sixteenth and the the nature of the a the of and in Since a not to the not as to this by for the of the to and as in The to of by to the two of a as in both and to to or from the as as and to community in the in preconquest the colonial in the The to the where the as the The the in to the where and the and for the In the and the one and the same in shows the of with of the in the in a as the the as of the the in to the and and to the for the of to and for the of these In to one the a as the one and people on the and acts the and of the in in and used in to a In a social structure, their from and and social relations to of and to these to people to their to which in community by multiple and not or not to their of these the of the of the and the of the the colonial while to Spanish of their to and some communities of their the of the sixteenth century, spoke on of their “communities” to for the of their and these groups by or on for at the they the of by to the Spanish and the example, in from their of a of In in the In a of from the and of to the in for and as to and and they the of with the Spanish in the of for this from their and in these the and the of in to the they of from their of the and relations with colonial and communities from of The and corporate a the in the colonial period by the Spanish of and Spanish of the the of to these on the of social relations and In the of on a to to on the of and to a community which to and In not and In Spanish or and not on or the of the and to with their and to social relations with community their the of to and on their communities to their and to some from the decades of and Spanish to to or to In some they even to or to the to a to their to from community in the colonial period the of with Spanish not to a their own communities, from after with a in the of to from the Mixteca Alta in the with In Spanish to their and these they to by or to and the same communities in the Some communities and from the of In to a or to or and of this period to the in to and a focus on one from a the and which of the historical in the previous the and the community of in the the and by about and the of this with communities in the Mixteca the in of to of and communities. The a the of and and communities as the In of in to as of as of and of the same and to last and and from as of to the of in of by in the Mixteca and to and the for in relations the Mixteca in the region of and to and and Mixteca to a of a of to as the of and their of these of the even of for to on of the and to in the and community of their as a of not well in and as of a not in their not in in the the to in the and to the The and a of with their they to and by a as and to the The to the of the they of the as the community or where the and of the the last lived as Since not they to The the of while the to the The the colonial the of the or to the community as the of the the Spanish in terms of and community a of overlapping a and community in the and a on the and some of Spanish and on of to the the light of have and not and or and a and I a in In the in Mexico in of the of the to on of in the to yet from and the The a the and and a and with on of the as of and the people as a to of and of the by the to communities, a of even as to and a they the sixteenth In the the of and as and as In the the to the in to or the the by the a of the social relations and the a The the after their of The of the from in the sixteenth which for social relations in by the of and to focused on the of and Spanish and from the to from and and both to to Spanish Some Spanish such as the in the of to which their the colonial from these in the for by the Spanish the to or and to by the their and communities to a of for the the of after the period from to to In the of after to the they for the of to and a of their they not from a of colonial and communities to and to multiple groups and individuals after the the the and the the and the and the not with Spanish they to or even the of and from their of this of to and a in the of the Mixteca the which the of Mexico and with the of a of and in the Mixteca a where to influenced by colonial in the communities in the the in to a region of with Spanish for the Mixteca Alta of in In to the of and communities in the Mixteca not to with for in the colonial some in the century, to colonial and with or the of to from in some even to this and to as the of the century, however, in and they and to survived the and to in sources the colonial a of overlapping communities, a entity to from and to the of sociopolitical and the colonial people to with multiple communities. and to a and of a the of and with and In colonial as in preconquest the of and structures and communities a of and the Mixteca the Nahua in The these and by structures with and to the In terms of sociopolitical social and a and Nahua communities In in the Maya sociopolitical such as the or to the or of or and a to the of as the and The of these for and for to colonial example, in sociopolitical organization related to by and as in sociopolitical for the of in colonial and findings of preconquest and colonial In this complex the historical of from Mexico to a on the of sociopolitical organization in the Mixteca the of the The for example, a Nahua of in The of in the the of the of this by the of to in the Mixteca in the sixteenth the colonial complex communities a of sociopolitical in multiple to in the and in the and nature of the colonial reorganization and to and of Mexico as of as the and in ways the and colonial altered colonial communities on preconquest In to the of colonial with their and The of of Mixtec and to the to the of these structures and the relations which to In the by by of the and of communities in the Mixteca Alta to and to studies of the by on the colonial the of indigenous a of the past, a to social relations and the as to the as in the colonial to a community on the one as a in the which the of with or by or to of during the in for example, from Nuyoo of a in colonial to both and and the the and of of a a of or by have the to Some people to or to their of a and from the Mixteca with I have to the of in their the native-language for indigenous speak of the or the the from a to a where of the to and The associations as the to organization and The of these are to by the big a and from to the their of this and in the Mixtec in a on the Mesoamerican community at the of the for in Mexico on The by and I to the and in for their I to for a of this I the John and and the and for their article on in the Mexico and the as and article from The Mixtecs of and from by of