PUREPÉCHA Y PESCADO: Food, Status, and Conquest in 16Th
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PUREPÉCHA Y PESCADO: Food, Status, and Conquest in 16th Century Michoacán Daniel A. LaCerva A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of The University of Toledo In partial fulfillment of The requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS August 2017 Committee: Dr. Charles Beatty-Medina - Chair Dr. Ami Pflugrad-Jackisch Dr. Bruce Way ABSTRACT This thesis looks at the effects of the Spanish conquest on the diet and social structure of the Tarascan people of Michoacán in the 16th century. Looking at the period from conquest to the early days of the 17th century, this work charts how the Tarascans identified with their food and how the introduction of new foods changed these markers. This change in diet accompanied changes in social structure and disruptions in the lifestyles of both noble and common indigenous peoples. This work identifies the relationships between these disruptions and the development of diets throughout the era of conquest and colonization. 1 DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to Katie, for all her love and support, my Father, who fostered my love of history and culture, and my Mother, who inspired my passion for food. I could not have done this without you. 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge the support of all my professors, staff and peers at the University of Toledo and elsewhere who have helped, inspired, and supported me throughout my schooling there. Without you, I would never have completed this work. I want to thank Dr. Roberto Padilla, Dr. Ami Pflugrad-Jackisch, Dr. Bruce Way, Dr. Chelsea Griffis, Dr. Kristen Geaman, Dr. Seamus Metress, Dr. Rebecca Earle, Jennifer Rockwood, Amada Esquivel, Alysia Shaffer, Yuan Deng, Joshua Steedman, and my mentor, Dr. Charles Beatty-Medina. I would also like to thank the staff and archivists at the Benson Latin American Collection and the John Carter Brown Library. 3 Contents ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 Review of Literature ................................................................................................................................................ 10 Chapter Breakdown ................................................................................................................................................. 14 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................................ 16 CHAPTER I ............................................................................................................................................................... 18 TARASCOS Y TAMALES: Food and Identity in Pre-Conquest Michoacán Tarascan Identity and Social Hierarchy .................................................................................................................. 20 Eres Lo Que Comes ................................................................................................................................................. 22 Maize and Men – The Tarascan Diet ....................................................................................................................... 24 Trade and Tribute .................................................................................................................................................... 29 Social Stratification ................................................................................................................................................. 33 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................... 36 CHAPTER II ............................................................................................................................................................. 38 CONQUISTA Y CARNE: Spanish Influence on Tarascan Diet and Lifestyle Conquest and Food Consumption............................................................................................................................ 39 Nobles and Power .................................................................................................................................................... 41 Comida y Comodidad .............................................................................................................................................. 43 Introduction of Old World Food .............................................................................................................................. 46 New Foodstuffs and New Lifestyles ......................................................................................................................... 50 Marketplace & Taverns ........................................................................................................................................... 52 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................... 54 CHAPTER III ............................................................................................................................................................ 55 PULQUE Y PESTILENCIA: Disease and Diet in Late 16th Century Michoacán Relaciones Geograficas ........................................................................................................................................... 57 Food in the Late 16th Century ................................................................................................................................. 59 Pestilencia ............................................................................................................................................................... 61 Reaction ................................................................................................................................................................... 64 Encomiendas and Noble Status ............................................................................................................................... 66 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................... 68 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................................................... 69 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................................................................... 72 4 INTRODUCTION As in most of Mesoamerica, 16th century Michoacán, the Tarascan homeland, saw a massive transformation in social relationships as a result of the Spanish conquest. However, the social crisis it created was nearly as profound within native Michoacán society as the arrival of European power. Spanish authority reconstituted Tarascan society as native class structures underwent measurable disruption and change. Tarascan commoners and the native nobility underwent a dramatic transformation, evident in all areas of social life, particularly in food culture, long a traditional marker of social demarcation in Michoacán society. Food culture changed in ways that reflected the breakdown of the Tarascan social hierarchy. This thesis examines the changes in food production and consumption and changes in native power structure. I argue that the changing nature of food through the period of conquest and colonization had profound effects on social hierarchy in 16th century Michoacán. The importance of this study lies in examining how changes in food culture reflected and affected indigenous identity and social relationships in 16th century Michoacán. As food culture changed within Tarascan communities, it assisted in the disintegration of the pre-conquest social hierarchy. In this study, I have applied many fundamental concepts on food and identity in an area where historians have not previously observed food as a marker of societal change. This thesis aims to understand how food, sometimes overlooked in the turbulence of sweeping societal change, highlighted and accelerated changing social relations among 16th century Tarascans. Food is linked with the self through the act of incorporation. The incorporation of food into the body is as much a sociocultural act as it is a biological act. By ingesting and incorporating foods into their body, the consumer accepts the food into their body and places 5 himself within the community attached to it.1 By ingesting the same foods, humans make food cultures that could help reflect social hierarchy. Over time, humans establish a staple diet in their civilizations, usually dependent on the availability of goods that they produce and acquire. However, in many instances, the distribution of food is dependent not on availability, but with concern for maintenance of social hierarchy. Food is a clear marker of social class. People choose foodstuffs to reflect oneself and how one wants to appear in society.2 Certain foods are attached to certain social classes, so the diner demonstrates a place in that class through consuming those foods. Russell Lynes described what he called highbrows,