Shaping the Motherhood of Indigenous Mexico

Notes

191 Notes A Word on Nahuatl Pronunciation 1. Alan R. Sandstrom (1991) has a good set of notes on the pronunciation of Nahuatl in the region of Ixhuatlán. I have borrowed some of his suggestions here. Introduction 1. All the names for the small villages are pseudonyms. I have used the real names for the larger towns and cities—Llano de Enmedio, Ixhuatlán de Madero, Álamo, and Poza Rica. 2. Bonfil Batalla (1996) proposed this idea in his analysis of the complex relationship among the various Mexicos. 3. Postectli (Pos-TEC-tlee) is part of a chain of seven hills, called Chikontepec (chee-CON-teh-pec) (“seven hills” in Nahuatl). They are very steep, conical hills protruding abruptly from the ground. The Postectli is the tallest hill (projecting more than six hundred meters straight up from the surrounding terrain) and the one most visible. It means “broken hill” in Nahuatl because a section at the top looks as though it broke off. Postectli is sacred to many of the indigenous groups of the area, not only the Nahua, and continues to receive yearly pilgrimages from all parts of the region. Gómez Martínez (2002) and Sandstrom (2003) provide in-depth descriptions of the various religious rituals and festivals centered on these hills. 4. Telebachilleratos (teh-leh-bah-chee-yeh-RAH-toes) are television-based high schools, which were established in Veracruz in 1980. The students receive a large part of their education through the state television program. This system has allowed more schools to be built in needy areas, which often suffer from teacher shortages. The television bridges this gap. 192 notes to pages 2–10 5. Galeras (gah-LEH-rahs) are tubular, metal-roofed, open structures used for special events. 6. Zacahuil (sah-cah-WHEEL) is an enormous tamal made from stoneground maize mixed with various spices, wrapped tightly in banana leaves, and then baked in a clay oven. It is meat filled and can feed over twenty people. Xamitl (SHAH-mee-tl) is a sweet corn tamal. It is made only when sweet corn is available, before it ripens and is allowed to turn to maize. 7. Mestizo (meh-STEE-sow) originally meant a person of mixed indigenous and European descent; the term has come to include cultural mixture as well. See also Chapter 1, note 3 for a more in-depth explanation. 8. See Ruhl 2002 for an analysis of “willed” pregnancies. 9. Pentecostal missionaries first came into Amatlán in 1983 and introduced a new religious doctrine to the villagers. Though at first the conversion was slow (see Sandstrom 1991 for a very complete account of the conversion process to Pentecostalism in Amatlán), over the years more and more people converted to these beliefs to the extent that nowadays about 60 percent of the village is Pentecostal. The conversion of such a large number of people to Pentecostalism has had a major effect on the religious structure of the village. In the past, the entire village would organize religious events (such as Carnival or All Soul’s Day) and everyone would participate . Nowadays, the few remaining Catholics consider many of these religious events to be too expensive for them to afford, and so they are not organized in such a fervent or elaborate manner as they used to be, with several of them going by the wayside. 10. Sandstrom (1975; 1978; 1998). 11. Baja de matriz, fallen uterus, is an ethnomedical category found across Latin America. The etiology is both physical (i.e., a fall, prolonged labor, or hot-cold differential) and social (i.e., lack of strength or lack of social support). 12. Comadre (f.) and compadre (m.) are terms for the adults in a parent-godparent relationship. 13. I took notes primarily by hand during these interviews, which were later transcribed with the help of research assistants. I also obtained supplementary data through the collection of over 150 plants used by the people as well as archival research and interviews with staff at the Ministry of Social Development (SEDESOL) and the National Population Council (CONAPO) in Mexico City. 14. Programa de Desarrollo Humano Oportunidades: the Opportunities Human Development Program. Oportunidades has been amply funded by the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. 15. The program began under former president Ernesto Zedillo from the PRI party and was continued by his successor, Vicente Fox, who belonged to [3.14.132.214] Project MUSE (2024-04-20 05:38 GMT...