Mezquital Valley
The Mezquital Valley (
Geography and environment
The Mezquital Valley is located in the central Mexican Highlands about 60 kilometres (37 mi) north of Mexico City.[1] It covers 7,000 km2 (2,700 sq mi) in the west of the state of Hidalgo and small portions extending into the State of Mexico and Querétaro.[2] With an altitude of between 1,700 and 2,100 m (5,600 and 6,900 ft) above sea level, it is part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt.[2] The valley consists of smaller valleys such as the Actopan, Ixmiquilpan, and the Tasquillo, along with some flatlands.[3] What unifies the region is its waterways, such as the Tula and Alfajayucan rivers, as well as streams such as the Alfajayucan, Arroyo Zarco, Rosas and Salado, as well as history and culture.[2]
It is one of the four main arid/semi arid regions of Mexico, along with
The vegetation of the valley is divided into zones. Forests of
Economic development in the 20th century has caused environmental problems, especially in the south of the valley. These include air and
Demographics and economy
The valley covers 33.7% of the state of Hidalgo and is divided politically into 27 municipalities, with a population of about 420,000.[4][5]
While most inhabitants are
Many Otomis still use garments made of undyed cotton called "manta". Women wear a blouse or shirt with a square neckline, which has embroidery. Over this many wear quechquemitls, of blue, purple, or black wool, as well as rebozos in similar colors and designs. The lower half of the body is covered by a wraparound skirt. Women usually braid their hair with ribbons or strips of fabric, and wear huarache sandals.[8]
The Otomi municipality of Ixmiquilpan is noted for its use of insect projects such as
A significant percentage of the population lives under what is called usos y costumbres (uses and customs), a legal way to allow indigenous communities to keep traditional authority structures. These are concerned with community rather than individual welfare, based on systems from the pre-Hispanic and colonial periods. These particularly apply to Otomi communities. However, there have been problems with these, with sanctions deemed severe and authorities accused of being arbitrary. There have also been problems with tribal law conflicting with the rights guaranteed by the Mexican Constitution. For example, in Ixmiquilpan, Tasquillo, Nopala, Huichapan, and Chapantongo, women are not allowed to vote for community authorities.[11][12]
Since the latter 20th century, the valley has become an important agricultural center for the state of Hidalgo, growing corn, beans, wheat, onions, tomatoes, cactus fruit, and peaches; the valley also produces one-quarter of all green chili peppers grown in Mexico.
Economic development includes industry especially in the south. Tula has a major oil refinery as well as an electrical plant. Fabric is woven in Tepeji, cement in Cruz Azul, Atotonilco. and Huichapan. Ixmiquipan and Actopan are important regional commercial centers. Traditional handcrafts include items made from ixtle fiber, baskets, weaving, pottery, and wood items. There are water parks and hiking areas in the mountain areas, which mostly attract families from the state of Hidalgo. These include El Xicuco (between Tula and Tlahuililpan), El Hualtepec (near Huichapan), and Los Frailes (near Actopan).[3]
History
The valley has been populated at least since the Mesoamerican period, especially in the south around what is now Tula. It is considered to be the northern edge of Mesoamerica, with evidence of agriculture on terraces and some irrigation, at least in Tula, as well as hunter-gatherer communities. While there has been work on a number of sites, many have been damaged or destroyed by the irrigation works related to the Tula River, as well as areas in Ixmiquilpan, Actopan, Mixquiahuala, Tlahuililpan, and Ajacuba. In the Preclassic period, there were small settlements showing influence from Chupícuaro and Ticoman. The settlement of the northwest of the valley began in the Classic period by Xajay groups with possible Chupicuaro-Mixtlan connections. The southeast was settled by those affiliated with Teotihuacan, mostly in the Tula area.[2]
The most significant pre-Hispanic city was Tula, which came to regional prominence after the fall of Teotihuacan and before the rise of Tenochtitlan in the Valley of Mexico. It was the seat of the Toltec civilization, thought to have a mixed ethnic population, with a significant number of Otomis.[2] The Toltec empire reached as far south as the Valley of Mexico and its influence has been found in artifacts as far away as the current U.S. Southwest. It is believed that aguamiel was first extracted around 1100 CE, which led to the making of pulque. The last Toltec ruler was Topilzin Ce-Acatl Quetzalcoatl, who came to power in 1085.[13][14] Stories about Tula were an important part of Aztec lore, with the god Quetzalcoatl possibly a deification of the last Toltec ruler.[2]
While the Otomi presence is notable since the Epiclassic period, the valley became dominated by this ethnicity in the Postclassic period, when the rise of the Aztec Empire drove many southern Otomi into the valley. They have remained the dominant indigenous population to the present day.[2][15] While the Aztecs held sway of much of the valley in the south, they never completely subjugated the Otomis, in part because of Otomi tendency to be nomadic. However, there was trade between the two peoples.[6] Aztec records indicate that cotton was collected in part of the area as tribute, but this has been debated because of the area's dry climate.[2]
Only after the Spanish conquest did the Otomi of the valley become more settled, although to this day there are some fringe groups which still maintain much of the hunter-gatherer traditions.[6] The Tula area was initially ruled for the Spanish by Pedro Miahuazochil in Tula[13][14] and Pedro Rodríguez de Escobar in Ixmiquilpan.[15] The ecology of the valley began to change dramatically in the colonial period, mostly due to logging and the introduction of grazing animals, especially sheep, causing erosion and other damage.[2]
The colonial period in the valley was heavily influenced by the Hacienda system. A number of haciendas (Spanish plantations) owned by the Spanish, with permission from the Spanish Crown, controlled vast lands and great number of workers from where earnings were generated through ranching, agriculture and property rental. Naturally, colonial social and economic life circled around each hacienda, where Hacienda Demiñho was one of the most important and influential in the Mezquital Valley.[16]
During the Mexican War of Independence, insurgent forces under Ignacio López Rayón made camp to Ixmiquilpan and also defeated royalist forces in the nearby village of Tamaleras, now called López Rayón. In 1854 a local uprising, especially in the communities of Orizabita and Remedios, arose in response to the excessive taxes levied by Ixmiquilpan authorities. The protesters were led by Sotero Lozano, who was called a bandit. This leader was most active in the towns of Actopan and Cardonal, his hometown.[15]
The valley saw a number of battles during the Mexican Revolution, especially between those loyal to Venustiano Carranza and Emiliano Zapata.[13][14] It also saw the peasant uprise in 1919 against Hacienda Demiñho, where its destruction and massacre ended this hacienda's hegemony in the region.[17]
However, because of climate, the valley remained sparsely populated and very poor from the colonial period until the 20th century. In the early 20th century, a rail line was built to link the valley to Pachuca. The rail line was planned by Englishman Richard Honey, who came to Ixmiquilpan with his family to settle. The rail line was supposed to run from Pachuca to Tampico, Tamaulipas but it was built only as far as Ixmilquilpan.[15]
At this time efforts to divert water from the Tula River for irrigation began, with the Tecolote Dam built along with the El Morelos and El Moro Canals. Later the Capula Dam was built, along with another canal to bring wastewater in from the Valley of Mexico.[15]
In the 1940s the Mexico City/Laredo highway was built through the area, which gave the valley more connection with the outside world.[15]
In 1951, by presidential decree, the Patrimonio Indígena del Valle de Mezquital (Valley of Mezquital Indigenous Heritage) was created in Ixmiquilpan by President Miguel Alemán Valez and state governor D. Quintín Rueda Villagran to promote Mezquital Otomi culture and education. These and many other infrastructure and economic development projects have changed much of the valley's way of life, especially in Tula and Ixquimilpan.[15]
Today the valley is an important agricultural region for the state of Hidalgo, growing corn, beans, wheat, onions, tomatoes, cactus fruit, and peaches. It produces one-quarter of Mexico's green chili peppers.[3][5] However, there are still problems with poverty, especially among the Otomis. From the 1980s, many Otomis migrated away from the valley to the United States, with large communities from this area settling in Clearwater, Florida and Las Vegas.[18] However, in 2011, the head of the Otomi Supreme Council in Ixmiquilpan stated that migration to the US from the area's Otomi had diminished, principally due to the US's poor economy.[19]
The valley has also had recurring conflicts over land and water resources, especially in Cardonal, Ixmiquilpan, and Tasquillo.[20][21][22] The disputes have resulted in numerous protests and affected local elections.[21] While the situation is not as dire as in various municipalities in the state of Guerrero, there have been reports of armed groups in the valley. These exist generally to protect a certain segment of the population rather than an entire community. These groups have been influenced by events in Guerrero since the 1990s, especially by the Popular Revolutionary Front. However, violent conflicts go back further than this.[23] One major dispute is over 102 hectares of land on the border between Ixmiquilpan and El Cardonal, which has led to paramilitary groups taking over areas.[20][22]
Important locations
Population centers
The town of Ixmiquilpan is the center of the Mezquital Valley, especially its Otomi population.
The city of
Archeological sites
The most important archeological site of the valley is Tula, although this is overshadowed by its predecessor Teotihuacan and one of its successors, Tenochtitlan.[30] Much of the site's historical importance comes from the fact that its civilization was highly respected by the Aztecs who followed – the Aztecs used the terms "Tula" and "Toltec" to indicate an urban space and a skilled person, respectively.[31][32]
The modern archaeological site consists of the ceremonial center of Tula Grande, an area called Tula Chico, the
Another important site is
References
- ^ a b c d e Humberto Romero Alvarez (1997). "El Valle de Mezquital, México Estudio de Caso" [Mezquital Valley, Mexico Case Study] (in Spanish). Organización Panamericana de la Salud. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ ISSN 0185-1659. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Valle de Mezquital" [Mezquital Valley] (in Spanish). Government of Hidalgo. Archived from the original on March 16, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ ISSN 1870-3453. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Armando Cruz Sanchez (March 12, 2011). "Se riegan con aguas negras 60% de cultivos agrícolas en Hidalgo" [60% of crops are irrigated with wastewater]. La Jornada (in Spanish). Mexico City. p. 32. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g H. C. Lanks (April 1938). "Indians of the Mezquital Valley, Hidalgo" (PDF). Universidad Iberoamericano/Economic Geography. pp. 184–194. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 3, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ Alejandro Reyes Alvarez (February 21, 2012). "Lenguas indígenas podrían perderse" [Indigenous language could be lost]. Milenio (in Spanish). Pachuca. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ "Otomíes del Valle del Mezquital, Hidalgo. (El traje tradicional indígena)" [The Otomis of the Mezquital Valley, Hidalgo (Traditional dress)] (in Spanish). Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas. November 23, 2009. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ "Muestra Gastronómica del Valle del Mezquital" [Gastronomy Fair of the Mezquital Valley]. Sistema de Información Cultural. Mexico: CONACULTA. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ Hugo Cardón (January 1, 2011). "Usos y costumbres en Valle del Mezquital ¿Generan violencia?" [Pahñu "Uses and Customs" in the Mezquital Valley. Do they generate violence?] (in Spanish). Pachuca: Crónica. Archived from the original on April 8, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ "Usos y costumbres lesionan derechos" [Uses and customs harm rights]. El Universal (in Spanish). Mexico City. August 29, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f "Plan municipal de desarrollo Tula" [Municipal development plan] (PDF) (in Spanish). Mexico: Government of Hidalgo. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Tula de Allende". Enciclopedia de los municipios y delegaciones de México Estado de Hidalgo (in Spanish). Mexico: INFED. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Municipio de Ixmiquilpan, Hgo" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2013-03-30. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ISBN 978-607-628-729-3.
- ^ "Tunititlan Hgo". tunititlan2013.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
- ^ "Miles de otomíes han migrado del Valle del Mezquital al sur de EU" [Thousands of Otomis have migrated from the Mezquital Valley to the south of the US]. La Jornada (in Spanish). Mexico City. March 11, 2011. p. 35. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ "Disminuye la migración del Mezquital hacia EU" [Migration from the Mezquital to the US diminishes]. Milenio (in Spanish). Pachuca. April 15, 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ a b Alma Leticia Sánchez (September 14, 2012). "Tensión en Valle del Mezquital" [Tension in the Mezquital Valley] (in Spanish). Pachuca: El Sol de Hidalgo. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ a b "Valle del Mezquital: agitado con tantas manifestaciones" [Mezquital Valley: agitated with many protests] (in Spanish). Pachuca: El Sol de Hidalgo. January 16, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ a b Carlos Camacho (September 17, 2012). "Los conflictos agrarios en el Valle del Mezquital" [Agragian conflicts in the Mezquital Valley]. El Universal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on April 8, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ Ricardo Sanchez (February 24, 2013). "Grupos armados en Hidalgo: una larga historia" [Armed groups in Hidalgo: A long story]. Milenio (in Spanish). Pachuca. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ a b c d "The Battle Friezes of Ixmiquilpan". Exploring Colonial Mexico. Archived from the original on 20 April 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
- ^ a b c "ZIDADA HYADI El venerado padre Sol en la Parroquia de Ixmiquilpan" (in Spanish). Arqueologia Mexicana. Archived from the original on 6 February 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
- ^ a b "Corredor Turistico Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 22 August 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
- ^ Chairez, Arturo. "Templo y ex Convento de San Miguel Arcángel, Ixmiquilpan (Hidalgo)" (in Spanish). Mexico Desconocido. Retrieved 1 September 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Tula, municipio con más desarrollo que el estado" [Tula, the most developed municipality in the state]. Milenio (in Spanish). Mexico City. July 1, 2009. Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
- ^ a b "Tula de Allende: Recorrido con los toltecas" [Tula de Allende:Stroll with the Toltecs]. Reforma (in Spanish). Mexico City. July 12, 2003. p. 12.
- ^ George L. Cowgill (March 2004). "Ancient Tollan: Tula and the Toltec heartland". 78 (299). Antiquity: 226–227.
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(help) - OCLC 8624401.
- ^ ISBN 9780874805369.
- ISBN 978-607400-179-2.
- ^ a b c "Featured Sites: Tula". Simon Frazier University Museum. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
- ^ "Abren Pahñu, Nueva zona arqueológica en Hidalgo" [Pahñu opens, new archeological zone in Hidalgo] (Press release) (in Spanish). Mexico: CONACULTA. November 20, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
Further reading
- Hunter, Richard. 2009. “People, Sheep, and Landscape Change in Colonial Mexico: The Sixteenth-Century Transformation of the Valle del Mezquital.” PhD. diss, Louisiana State University.