NOMENCLATURE
Attended a lecture at
THE MEXICAN CONSULATE in Los Angeles The following words continued to be used interchangeably by the lecturer Pre Columbian Pre Cortesian Pre Hispanic After the lecture asked why those terms were being used The lecturer explained that “There has to be a demarcation in linear time to differentiate the periods” Informed the lecturer that if he visits any indigenous people in what is now called the United States and asks them what you call your instruments, they would answer by tribal affiliation e.g., Apache drum Seneca flute Iroquois drum etc., But none of the indigenous people of North America would describe their instruments as Pre Dutch Pre English Pre French Pre German etc., This only happens when non indigenous people are talking about indigenous instruments of Mexico and Mesoamerica specifically “Would you prefer we call the instruments” pre Cuahtemoc etc., if we did so that would be an insult to the other Indigenous groups in Mexico…..” is what I was told Mexico is named after the last empire in modern-day Mexico The MEXICA………which most know as the Aztecs I suggested that they use the term “Pre-Invasion instruments” Which some of the other attendees considered ridiculous because “Mexicans are indigenous and European, we are half and half” The population of Mexico is approximately 126 million and there are only 7 million indigenous speakers in modern-day Mexico, so the 50/50 ratio is not very accurate in regards to what is taught and how in regards to the history of Mexico's indigenous population i.e., some people resonate more with the indigenous side of their culture and heritage and some resonate more with the European side of their culture and heritage Pointed out that we are also half our father's side of the familia and half our mothers' side of the familia, but as human beings, we don’t split the time in our lives evenly with both sides LA FAMILIA, but rather we spend our time on the side of LA FAMILIA that we resonate more with i.e., just because one is not spending equal time with both does not mean that both sides are not being acknowledged but words and how words are used are very important why they were created when they were created why they were used and how and who chooses to use them is more a reflection on the speaker's point of view than the world as it is i.e., understanding is not agreement |