Colonial Figures and Indigenous Societies in Latin America

Florentine Codex

A 16th-century ethnographic study of Mesoamerican cultures by Bernardino de Sahagún.

Bernardino de Sahagún

Spanish Franciscan friar who compiled the Florentine Codex.

1519 / 1522

Years marking Hernán Cortés' conquest of the Aztec Empire.

Hernán Cortés

Spanish conquistador who led the conquest of the Aztec Empire.

Malintzin (La Malinche)

Indigenous Nahua woman who acted as an interpreter and advisor to Cortés.

Moctezuma

Aztec ruler when the Spanish arrived; taken captive by Cortés.

Toxcatl Massacre

A 1520 massacre of Aztecs by Spanish forces in Tenochtitlan.

Noche Triste

"Night of Sorrows" (1520), when the Spanish were forced out of Tenochtitlan by the Aztecs.

Tawantinsuyu

The Inca Empire's name in Quechua.

Sapa Inca

Title for the emperor of the Inca civilization.

Guamán Poma

Indigenous Andean chronicler who documented Spanish abuses.

1531 / 1532

Years of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire.

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish conquistador who led the conquest of the Inca Empire.

Diego de Almagro

Spanish explorer who participated in the conquest of Peru.

Atahualpa

Last sovereign Inca ruler, executed by Pizarro.

Huáscar

Atahualpa's brother; fought him in a civil war before the Spanish arrived.

Manco Inca

Inca ruler who led resistance against Spanish rule.

Vilcabamba

Last Inca stronghold before Spanish conquest in 1572.

Tupac Amaru

Last Inca ruler of Vilcabamba, executed by the Spanish in 1572.

1575

Late Spanish colonial period, indigenous resistance continues.

Sedentary Society

People who established permanent settlements, like the Aztecs and Incas.

Semi-Sedentary Society

Groups that practiced shifting agriculture and moved periodically.

Non-Sedentary Society

Nomadic or hunter-gatherer groups with no permanent settlements.

Pedro Álvares Cabral

Portuguese explorer who 'discovered' Brazil in 1500.

Tupi

Indigenous Brazilian people, semi-sedentary farmers and fishers.

Encomiendas

Spanish colonial labor system granting control over indigenous people.

Tribute

Payment or goods given by indigenous groups to colonial authorities.

Maya Area

Region covering modern-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador.

Tikal

Major ancient Maya city in Guatemala.

Teotihuacan

Large pre-Aztec city in central Mexico with pyramids.

Kaminaljuyú

Maya archaeological site in Guatemala.

Joya de Cerén

Maya village preserved by volcanic ash, often called the 'Pompeii of the Americas.'

Popol Vuh

Sacred Maya text detailing creation myths.

Piedra del Sol

Aztec Sun Stone, a massive calendar stone.

Tecuciztecatl & Nanahuatzin

Aztec deities who sacrificed themselves to create the sun.

Chicomóztoc-Aztlán

Mythical origin place of the Aztecs.

Cultural Relativism

The idea that a culture should be understood in its own context.

Ethnocentrism

Judging another culture by the standards of one's own.

Emic

Insider's perspective in anthropology.

Etic

Outsider's analytical perspective in anthropology.

Maguey

Plant used for fiber, food, and pulque (fermented drink).

Teosinte

Wild ancestor of maize (corn).

Nixtamalization

Process of treating maize with lime to improve nutrition.

Milpa

Traditional Mesoamerican farming system growing maize, beans, and squash.

Chinampas

Floating gardens used by the Aztecs.

Cempasúchil

Marigold flower used in Day of the Dead ceremonies.

Altepetl

City-state in the Aztec political system.

Calpulli

Aztec social unit or neighborhood.

Hacienda

Large estate or plantation in Spanish colonies.

Emiliano Zapata

Mexican revolutionary leader advocating for land reform.

Zapatista

Modern movement fighting for indigenous and rural rights in Mexico.

Ejido

Communal farmland system in Mexico.

Aguas Buenas

Pre-Columbian culture in Puerto Rico.

Guayabo de Turrialba

Archaeological site in Costa Rica.

Teyuna-Ciudad Perdida

'Lost City' of the Tairona people in Colombia.

Diquís Delta

Costa Rican site famous for its stone spheres.

El Caño

Archaeological site in Panama.

Sitio Conte

Pre-Columbian burial site in Panama.

El Dorado

Legendary city of gold sought by Spanish explorers.

West Indies

Caribbean islands explored by Columbus and colonized by Europeans.

Saladoid

Early indigenous culture of the Caribbean.

Ramón Pané

Spanish friar who recorded Taino beliefs and myths.

Zemí

Taino religious spirits represented in stone and wood carvings.

Cohoba

Taino ritual involving hallucinogenic snuff.

Batey

Taino ball game with ritual significance.