After the invasion of the Spaniards, when Cortes and his men first entered Tenochtitlan in 1519, it was not their siege tactics that succeeded in the defeat of the natives, nor the fact that the indigenous had assumed he was a God returning as promised. Instead, the deadly disease the Spaniards carried caused the death of fifty percent of the Aztecs. A short, but brilliant history remains recorded proving their superiority. They went from being a nomadic tribe to a dominating force. These were one of the seven Nahua tribes known as the Chichimecas or the Barbarians with all phases of their lives dominated by religion.
Still today they flourish within and around the valley of Mexico City even with past invasions and atrocities committed against them by the white man. The inhabitants of this country are a strong and proud breed with a rich culture and many tales to tell. While some are factual and heroic, others remain fictitious. But, no matter where the story derives from, it gives strength, hope and power to its future generations. It allows the children to dream the dreams of a dreamer by preserving ancient traditions, customs and the dignity of their ancestors.
But, they dissatisfied these strange Spaniards, considering they had brought their own slaves with them - blacks, and dark Asians who were considered black - they then enslaved the Apaches they encountered by the 1600s to work their ranches and mines.
So, herein lies the story of two separate tribes. Both strong, proud, and powerful nations enslaved by this white man who trampled on their land only to steal what they considered invaluable. And both nations with beliefs as distant as two continents, yet close enough to console the other. Both tribes had more in common than they thought. Both were into rituals far beyond comprehension of the Spaniards or any outsider for that matter. They were united through spirit and the ancient ways of respect for the land that gave them life.
