Azqueltán
Encyclopedia
Azqueltán is a small settlement located on the banks of the Bolaños River
in the municipality of Villa Guerrero, Jalisco
, Mexico
. "Azqueltán" (reduced from earlier "Atzqueltlán") means "place of the ant
s" in the Tepehuán language
.
According to John Alden Mason
, the village was originally settled by a group of indigenous Tepehuán
who migrated to the isolated canyon location in the 13th or 14th Century AD following droughts in the northern Sierra Madre Occidental and Arizona
during that time. In 1534, Spaniards arrived in the area and Huichol groups settled in the surrounding areas, most likely as a result of Spanish incursion into their homelands to the east.
In the eighteenth century, historically Tepehuán lands outside of the river-canyon were taken over by Spaniards and Tlaxcaltec
s brought to the region as colonizers by the Spaniards. While other historically Tepehuán settlements in the region, such as Totatiche
and Temastián, lost their Tepehuán identity due to migration of the Spanish and Tlaxcaltecs, inhabitants of Azqueltán, isolated in the river-canyon, maintained their Tepehuán identity and language
through the beginning of the 20th century.
Traditionally, the people of Azqueltán & the divergent dialect of Southern Tepehuán once spoken at Azqueltán have been referred to as Tepecano. The Tepecano language was studied during the period 1911-13 by Mason, & in 1965 & 1979-80 by Dennis Holt.
In more recent years, some Huichol inhabitants from the area west of the Sierra Madre Occidental have settled in the village.
Bolaños River
-References:*Atlas of Mexico, 1975 .*The Prentice Hall American World Atlas, 1984.*Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993....
in the municipality of Villa Guerrero, Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. "Azqueltán" (reduced from earlier "Atzqueltlán") means "place of the ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s" in the Tepehuán language
Tepehuán language
Tepehuán is the name of two closely related languages of the Piman branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family, both spoken in northern Mexico...
.
According to John Alden Mason
John Alden Mason
John Alden Mason was an archaeological anthropologist and linguist.Mason was born in Orland, Indiana, but grew up in Philadelphia's Germantown. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1907 and a doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley in 1911...
, the village was originally settled by a group of indigenous Tepehuán
Tepehuán
The Tepehuán are a Native American ethnic group in northwest Mexico, whose villages at the time of Spanish conquest spanned a large territory along the Sierra Madre Occidental from Chihuahua and Durango in the north to Jalisco in the south...
who migrated to the isolated canyon location in the 13th or 14th Century AD following droughts in the northern Sierra Madre Occidental and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
during that time. In 1534, Spaniards arrived in the area and Huichol groups settled in the surrounding areas, most likely as a result of Spanish incursion into their homelands to the east.
In the eighteenth century, historically Tepehuán lands outside of the river-canyon were taken over by Spaniards and Tlaxcaltec
Tlaxcaltec
The Tlaxcalteca were an indigenous group of Nahua ethnicity that inhabited the Kingdom of Tlaxcala located in what is now the Mexican state of Tlaxcala.-Pre-hispanic history:...
s brought to the region as colonizers by the Spaniards. While other historically Tepehuán settlements in the region, such as Totatiche
Totatiche
The municipality and town of Totatiche is located in the northern extreme of the state of Jalisco, Mexico between 21°48’30” and 22°06’00” latitude north and 103°20’00” and 103°34’00” longitude east at a height of above sea level. The municipality is bordered on the north and southeast by the...
and Temastián, lost their Tepehuán identity due to migration of the Spanish and Tlaxcaltecs, inhabitants of Azqueltán, isolated in the river-canyon, maintained their Tepehuán identity and language
Tepehuán language
Tepehuán is the name of two closely related languages of the Piman branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family, both spoken in northern Mexico...
through the beginning of the 20th century.
Traditionally, the people of Azqueltán & the divergent dialect of Southern Tepehuán once spoken at Azqueltán have been referred to as Tepecano. The Tepecano language was studied during the period 1911-13 by Mason, & in 1965 & 1979-80 by Dennis Holt.
In more recent years, some Huichol inhabitants from the area west of the Sierra Madre Occidental have settled in the village.