Diálogo Volume 16 Number 1 Article 6 2013 La Tradición Conchera: Historical Process of Danza and Catholicism Jennie Luna New Mexico State University Follow this and additional works at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/dialogo Part of the Latin American Languages and Societies Commons Recommended Citation Luna, Jennie (2013) "La Tradición Conchera: Historical Process of Danza and Catholicism," Diálogo: Vol. 16 : No. 1 , Article 6. Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/dialogo/vol16/iss1/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Latino Research at Via Sapientiae. It has been accepted for inclusion in Diálogo by an authorized editor of Via Sapientiae. For more information, please contact [email protected]. La Tradición Conchera: Historical Process of Danza and Catholicism Jennie Luna New Mexico State University same roots, they are actually distinct schools of thought Abstract: La Tradición Conchera (Conchero tradition), and practice of Danza. The Tradición Conchera emerges often used synonymously with Danza Azteca (Aztec from the pre-Cuauhtémoc2 roots of the sacred dance Dance), has profound and complex roots connected to traditions of central México as a product of history and both an indigenous and colonial trajectory. This article the cross pollination that occurs with the Catholic belief presents a concise map of this history and the ties to system. It is both an adaption to Catholicism and resistance the Catholic Church, which has been both a process of to complete conversion, used as a strategy for survival. syncretism and synergy. The syncretism of Indigenous While both Danza Conchera and Danza Mexica share world views with the Catholic Church has had elements genealogical roots, Danza Mexica emerges out of the of preservation and decimation as demonstrated within Danza Conchera tradition in more contemporary history, the complex history of Danza. This article focuses on creating a distinct branch of Danza. This study pursues a the Post-Cuauhtémoc origins of Danza (dances) and deeper, more complete understanding of Danza in all its its relationship with the Church, State, and Indigenous forms, its complex roots and the diverging branches that communities. both cling to and disengage with competing historical, cultural and religious influences. Keywords: Danza Azteca, Conchero Dance, Syncretism, Not unlike many Native American ceremonial Mexican Cultural Traditions, Mexican Catholicism practices in the United States during the early colonial era, after the arrival of the Spaniards in México, the practice of various Indigenous Danzas (dances) and ative American scholarship examines the ceremonies was prohibited and severely punished. What Nhistorical relationships between native peoples is known and/or documented about spiritual and ritual and dominant cultures as both a process of “upstreaming” beliefs of Danza Mexica was corrupted, written under and “downstreaming” (Fixico, 1997 & 2003), influences the hand and censorship of Spanish friars and soldiers that flow in both directions. Historically, scholarship who depicted Indigenous complex knowledge systems about Indigenous peoples and cultures has only examined as savage, pagan and evil. According to Mario Aguilar, one direction: the influence of mainstream dominant the Spaniards’ interest in collecting data was to be able society on Indigenous peoples and ways of life. This to define the “heresies” (1983: 14) of the Nahua people. piece is grounded in the premise that Catholicism was Within these documents, friars such as Bernardino de just as influenced and impacted by Indigenous Mexican Sahagún, Alonso de Molina, and Bartolomé de Las Casas ceremonial/spiritual belief systems as Indigenous Mexican also showed an “awed respect” and, at times, compassion ceremonial/spiritual belief systems were influenced and for the Indigenous people. “For this reason, and for fear impacted by Catholicism. This essay pursues a complex of reawakening the spirit of the Indian nations, most of narrative, constructed by ethnographic research1, inter- these writings were hidden in the vaults and libraries of views and complete participation observation to present a Madrid and the Vatican” (Aguilar, 1983: 14). concise map of the historical trajectory of la Danza Mexica From the beginning of what is labeled La Conquista (also referred to as traditional Aztec Dance or Danza (The Conquest), or, more appropriately, “the Invasion,” Azteca) and the Tradición Conchera (Conchero tradition an incredible effort took place on the part of the Spanish or Danza Conchera), the latter being a product of Catholic clergy and soldiers to obliterate any evidence of Nahua influence. Often Danza Mexica and Danza Conchera “religion.” Through the burning of irreplaceable, precious are understood as similar and used interchangeably, but documents or codices, the knowledge base of a whole this essay will demonstrate that, while they share the civilization was deliberately destroyed by conquistadores Diálogo Articles 47 Jennie Luna Volume 16 Number 1 Spring 2013 such as Juan de Zumárraga (Vento, 1994). Arnoldo Carlos told Friar Sahagún that ‘when the dance Vento calls this an “intentional cultural and religious was loveliest, and song was linked to genocide” (1994: 60). Not only were people decimated song, the Spaniards were seized with en masse through disease and extermination, but the an urge to kill the celebrants’. (León- culture and belief systems of those that survived were Portilla, 1990: 74) also condemned. While the aim of evangelization was incorporation and conversion in order to redeem souls, The documentation continues, stating that the conquista- this came with a cost of the extermination of human life. dores quickly moved to the center of the ceremony, “forcing Mario Aguilar (1983) details the observations of Hernán their way to the place where the drums were played” (1990: Cortés in Cholula, Puebla, who witnessed 3,000 dancers 74). Once there, they cut off the drummers’ arms. The in a great circle in honor of Quetzalcoatl3: “The Spaniards Mexica, outraged by the Spaniards’ violent interruption of were awed at such tremendous show of precision, dexterity their most sacred ceremony, drove them out of the city. The and endurance. The spectacle they beheld caused great continued cultural genocide and holocaust ultimately led fear in them” (Aguilar, 1983: 12). As Aguilar continues, to the military defeat of México-Tenochtitlan in 1521. The the Spaniards massacred the unarmed danzantes using last leader, or Tlatoani, Cuauhtémoc, declared surrender, swords, cannons and guns, all weaponry powerful and offering his mandate to the people5 (Vento, 1994: 62). In unknown to the Nahua peoples of México. From the this mandate, while acknowledging a military defeat, Nahua worldview, complete and total extermination via Cuauhtémoc outlines that when the people can no longer war and massacre with unequal levels of weaponry were resist militarily, they will resist spiritually. This mandate unfamiliar and cowardly, as well as undefeatable. Vento instructs survivors to preserve their ways, to teach their (1994) argues that the Spaniards attempted to recreate children, and to go into hiding so that they, ultimately, medieval Europe in the Western hemisphere through will survive as a people. Cuauhtémoc left a prophesy for imperialism, exploitation and rule by the wealthy, the future generations that one day a new era will open up the State, and the Church. Violence and expulsion would be possibility to once again live in the ways of the ancestors.6 executed in the same way on these new “infidels,” as was After Cuauhtémoc’s pronouncement, many keepers committed on the Moors in Spain. According to Fray of the sacred dance and spiritual ways were forced into Bartolemé de las Casas in his exposé entitled Brevísima hiding to survive culturally. Mario Aguilar calls the result relación de la destrucción de las Indias, over 25 million “a network of underground worship” (1983: 18). If found Natives perished due to the Spanish invasion (Vento, practicing spiritual ways, individuals could be burned alive 1994: 63). Had Aztec human sacrifice occurred mass- at the stake. Other upper class members of Nahua society scale,4 as argued by the dominant narrative, the claimed assimilated into Spanish nobility or were brought into numbers could not equate with the brutal human sacrifice the dominant society’s hierarchy, leaving their traditions committed by the Spaniards (Forbes, 2004). behind (Aguilar, 1983). Sacred ways were therefore main- In 1520, Spanish invader Pedro de Alvarado ordered tained by the agrarian or disenfranchised classes in Nahua the slaughter of all danzantes during their ceremony of society—in home and secular units—leaving long lineages Toxcatl, honoring Huitzilopochtli, divine hummingbird, of Danza and ritual practice that some participants, even symbol of willpower, youthful energy and domination of today, can still link to a particular pre-Cuauhtémoc lineage. one’s weaknesses. As Mexican scholar Miguel León-Portilla After the Spanish invasion, many Nahua spiritual observes: ways became known as “traditions” or “traditional.” What is today called traditional dance or Danza is In fact, the Noche Triste, the “Sad Night” linked to colonial origins. It was through that moment when the Spaniards were routed out of of interaction and resistance (as resistance was/is still an Tenochtitlán, was set off by the violation interaction with the oppressor or colonial powers) that