Dances hunt jaguar ". Characteristic of the identity of the "Cultural Suriano Territory".

By Oscar Cortes Palma

To define what it means to be Mexican or Mexican we have to take into account the common cultural behaviors of those who were born in this land we call Mexico.
There are many characteristics that identify us as Mexicans in the world, for example, the typical food, the beautiful costumes, the music of our people, dance and traditional theater and the whole culture we have built as time passes. In other words, we create our own history, our own Mexican identity.

 

But there are also features that have not taken into account, but that are present and differentiate us from the world. One of them, are the beautiful traditional dances representing a jaguar hunting. All these dances are about eight, I have listed under the name of "theatrical dances jaguar hunting," and are unique in the world. These dances are a symbol of Mexican culture not yet recognized in their proper perspective by intellectuals and by the authorities, but that has not made these dances disappear because it is the people who continues to perform these dances with their own.

The "Dance of the Jaguar hunting" are unique in the world, so they are a cultural characteristic that identifies Mexico from other countries. Because these dances abound in the "Cultural Suriano Territory" which covers the states of Guerrero, Morelos, Puebla and Southern part of the states of Mexico, Michoacan and Oaxaca. So I think that the "Dances hunt Jaguar" give us some elements to understand part of Mexican identity. It is very likely that on Earth there are many dances on the "hunt animals," but have not been studied or have not spread enough, and I must confess I do not know about the existence of "dances representing hunting animals "outside the American continent, but no doubt there are some in the other continents.

However, where we can find many "Dances on hunting animals" is on the American continent, for example in Mexico, in the states of Sonora and Sinaloa, we can find the "Deer Dance" in which hunting is represented a deer.



Further south of Mexico, are about 8 different dances on the "hunt jaguar" in the states of Mexico, Guerrero, Morelos, Puebla, Oaxaca and some in Michoacan. In total there are about 135 Mexican villages where some of the "Dance of the Jaguar hunting" danced. Also in this region are the Cowboys Dance, consisting of the bullfight and death of a bull. Also, a small region in the north between the states of Puebla and Veracruz, in the area was also inhabited by Nahua and tének find the Dance of the Tejoneros consisting of a badger hunting.

But besides Mexico, there are "Dances of hunting animals" in other countries of the American continent, although not as plentiful as in Mexico. For example, in Central America, in the town of San Juan Nonualco, the country of El Salvador, we find the "Dance of the Tiger and the Deer" consisting hunting tiger or jaguar. And in the country of Guatemala dance are dealing Deer hunting this animal.

In South America, there are also dances on hunting of animals such as tiger dance villages of Otare, Mompox and Rio de Oro in Colombia. And in Peru are dance Jaguar hunting in a town called Puerto Maldonado. Also in this country there is another dance called Choq'elas and deals hunting vicuna. In the neighboring country of Ecuador dance are dealing Deer hunting of the animal.

As we can conclude from the above information, the "dances on hunting animals" are not many, and we also realize that most danced in the "Cultural Territory Suriano" in Mexico, but still we have not given the importance to such dances as part of the national identity.

 In other words, dances on hunting animals but mainly the "Dances on the hunt Jaguar" are dances that identify Mexico in the world, in other words, "human-jaguar dancers" are a symbol of regional identity in the south-center of the country, as they are unique globally, so it is necessary to reassess these dances as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mexico and the world.

But the "Dance-theater of the hunt Jaguar" also speak for themselves, I mean that if we analyze we offer elements to know as has been the Mexican identity throughout history, to prove this, I will make an example of these dances called "theatrical dance Tecuan". Within these dances are variants. I will analyze one of them: Dance Tecuan Coatetelco type, which is the most danced variant. First the word "Tecuan" or "Tecuani" is of Nahuatl origin and means "something you eat," but that also means fierce, lion, jaguar, tiger, etc.
In this dance involved, at least 17 characters distributed roughly as follows:
17.Pitero
16.Risueño


FILA "A"
FILA "B"
1. Mayeso
2. Salvadorchi
3. Creeping
4. John Shooter
5. Doctor
6. Doctor
7. Flechero
8. Spearman
9. Trapper
10. Yerbero
11.Venado
12. Bitch
13.Zopilote
14. Zopilote
15.Tecuani


As we can see, the characters dance to dance are placed in two parallel rows but three characters, or Pitero Musician, Laughing and Tecuani, who can be located wherever they want. Some of these characters represent trades that existed since colonial times, and some even earlier, and until the 1930s, when land reform was in Mexico. For instance:
1. Salvadorchi is the landowner who has a lot of land, money and cattle.
2. Mayeso Squire's assistant, which is transmitted orders Salvadorchi their workers.
3. John Puller is a person whose job is to hunt animals with their firearm.
4. Creeping is a person who is dedicated to track wild animals, for that accompany their dogs.
5. Doctors have as trade heal people

6. Flechero has as trade, engage in the hunt using bow and arrow
7. The Lancer has as trade, engage in the hunt using spears
8. Yerbero is a warlock magic frightened by the "evil".
9. The Trapper is a person skilled in setting traps.
10. The deer is a native animal of the Mexican fauna, relatively abundant and is hunted as food.
11. Bitches are very common animal in Mexico
12. Vultures are carrion birds originating from Mexico.

13. Laughing is a silent hermit walks laughing like crazy, thus the name, and lives in the mountains, but thanks to his knowledge of the hill to catch the Tecuani works.

These characters participate in traditional dance Tecuan, whose plot tells the struggle between a wealthy landowner against a jaguar that is threatening their cattle. Squire, orders his assistant to hunt for the beast, but as his assistant can not, then hire expert hunters hunt the jaguar finally called Tecuan or Tecuani.


This variant of the dance Tecuan is currently dancing in more than 45 villages, and through this dance we know a part of the "Mexican identity", for example thanks to this dance we know that in Mexico there existed and ranches and estates livestock; and there and there were jaguars. Likewise through this dance we know that in Mexico earlier in rural areas had some different trades today. For example there were shooters, trappers, trackers of wildlife. We also know that the bow and arrow with spear guns were used by our ancestors, like the grass to scare some "evil". We also know that deer, vultures and dogs are animals accompanied the Mexicans since ancient times.

In conclusion the "Dance of the Jaguar Hunt" are fundamental symbols of Mexican identity, that abound in this country and are old. They even have pre-Hispanic elements because animals originating involved; besides this traditional dance it has been dancing for over hundred years ago. Landowner tells the treasury and life, one of the most dominant economic activities during the colonial period and even years after the Mexican Revolution.

These "Dances theater Jaguar Hunt" our ancestors created them because they wanted to tell us something. They wanted to tell a story, and as they spoke Nahuatl, and most could not read or write, we told their story through dance and popular theater, and the message has reached our days.

Which is surprising because it's been almost 100 years since disappeared many of the elements that tells the theatrical dance Tecuan, for example, the "power relations" between the farmer and his workers to catch the Jaguar, and almost as There are no trades that describes this dance, which nevertheless remains traditionally represented at fairs around 77 Mexican towns.

So I think it is necessary that the "Dances hunt Jaguar" are taken into account as an important part of national identity. Al revalorarlas we know symbols of the current Mexican identity and how it has changed the Mexican identity throughout history, as the theatrical dance Tecuan tells us part of our history, plus the traditional theatrical dance has been making the Mexican settlers with their own economic and human resources and generally do not receive institutional support.


© Oscar Cortes Palma Lic. UNAM and Research in Dance History of Tecuan of Morelos and history of the town of Axochiapan. Email axochiapancultural@hotmail.com; cami17_4@hotmail.com; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oscarcortespalma


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