Abstract

This dissertation examines the survival of a distinct Indian presence in the silver-mining city of Zacatecas, Mexico from 1546 to 1806—a period which allows for a comprehensive study of the city's native population. The year of 1546 traditionally refers to the settlement of the city by Spaniards and it also marks the beginning of a permanent indigenous presence in the area. The majority of extant documentation on Indians in the city ends in 1806. Zacatecas was once seen as a predominately Spanish city, but throughout the colonial period a large native and migrant Indian population lived and worked in the town. Its members were comprised of many immigrants from different regions and distinct ethnic groups such as Nahuas, Purépechas, and other indigenous groups. In Zacatecas, native people adopted Spanish institutions to represent themselves and to unify the culturally diverse population. In particular, Indians adopted Spanish-style municipal councils and lay confraternities to create an overarching corporate identity that incorporated specific indigenous ethnicities, and to convert indigenous settlements into formal sociopolitical entities. In so doing, they created enduring sociopolitical structures and fashioned a distinctive corporate identity out of numerous Indian settlements.

Several factors contributed to the regeneration and persistence of indigenous communities in Zacatecas. The construction of a corporate Indian identity allowed native people to develop spaces and organizations, which allowed for the expression of indigenous identity and practices in a colonial multi-cultural urban setting. The development of native towns and barrios (neighborhood settlements) in the city provided a space for Indians to connect with indigenous people, traditions, and practices. Within these communities, Indian migrants established and recreated indigenous customs in land tenure, household composition, sacred practices, and in language use. Most importantly, the large Indian population forged social networks, which encouraged endogamy rates among the native and migrant population. Accordingly, acclimatization to city life was more a process of adaptation and innovation than complete cultural transformation. Ultimately, this dissertation seeks to highlight the importance of indigenous immigration and the adoption of Spanish institutions in the formation of native communities and in the recreation of Indian culture.