The AzTecs AT Independence mIRIAm meLTon-vILLAnuevA THe aZTeCs aT iNDePeNDeNCe Nahua Culture Makers in Central Mexico, 1799–1832 TUCSON The University of Arizona Press www.uapress.arizona.edu © 2016 The Arizona Board of Regents All rights reserved. Published 2016 Printed in the United States of America 21 20 19 18 17 16 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN-13: 978-0-8165-3353-4 (cloth) Cover design by Leigh McDonald Cover photo by Miriam Melton-Villanueva Publication of this book is made possible in part by funding from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, College of Liberal Arts, and by the proceeds of a permanent endowment created with the assistance of a Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Melton-Villanueva, Miriam, author. Title: The Aztecs at independence : Nahua culture makers in central Mexico, 1799–1832 / Miriam Melton-Villanueva. Description: Tucson : The University of Arizona Press, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2016008674 | ISBN 9780816533534 (cloth : alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Nahuas—Ethnic identity. | Nahuas—Writing—Sources. | Nahuatl imprints— Sources. | Nahuatl language—Social aspects—Sources. | Nahuas—Religion—19th century. | Nahuas—History—19th century—Sources. | Nahuas—Social life and customs—19th century— Sources. | Nahuatl-Spanish dialect—Mexico—Sources. Classification: LCC F1221.N3 M45 2016 | DDC 305.897/452—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn .loc.gov/2016008674 This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper). In memory of my father and dedicated to my mother and son who traveled with me to the Huasteca Veracruzana to learn more than Nahuatl x conTenTs List of Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction 3 1. Inside the Altepetl of san Bartolomé 20 2. spanish-Language Texts by nahua escribanos 45 3. The escribanos Who still Wrote in nahuatl 64 4. nahuatl Formulas over Time and in other Altepetl 84 5. death Rites, Local Religion, and Women on church Grounds 102 6. household Ritual 127 conclusion 145 epilogue 158 Appendix 1. Testament List from the Independence Archive with Reference Codes 161 Appendix 2. Notaries of the Independence Archive by Altepetl 169 Appendix 3. Sample Testaments 173 viii Contents Notes 189 Glossary 225 Bibliography 227 Index 239 ILLusTRATIons Figures 1. Map of the Metepec-Region Altepetl 5 2. Lienzo de Tlaxcala 8 3. The Changing Boundaries of the New Nation after Independence 11 4. My First Sight of San Bartolomé’s Parish 21 5. Known Deaths in San Bartolomé, 1799–1832 23 6. Officials of the Cabildo and Fiscalía in San Bartolomé 30 7. Nahuatl- and Spanish-Language Wills in Four Altepetl, 1799–1832 47 8. Spanish-Language Testament of Tiburcio Valentín 48 9. Spanish-Language Testament of Alejandro Justo 48 10. Nahuatl-Language Testament of Tiburcia Valenciana 68 11. Nahuatl-Language Testament of Manuela Lugarda 69 12. Example from the Hand of Rufino Faustino #1 76 13. Example of the Hand of Rufino Faustino #2 77 14. Opening the Independence Archive 85 15. Two-Page Testament Style on One Sheet 86 16. Four-Page Testament Style on One Larger Folded Sheet 87 17. Official Seal from Secular Notarial Archive 88 18. Bernardino Antonio Nahuatl-Language Testament, 1812 93 19. San Bartolomé’s Canopy of Trees 103