Transformation of Indians Duri
The Indian population in the early 1800s were subjects of the ruling elite. At this point, the ruling elite consisted of Spaniards, which considered the Indians to be barbaric and did not consider them to be humans. In 1810, the Gente de razon category was established to identify people who were White, racially mixed people and those Indians who had been detribalized. This was the preparation for the revolution of 1821; an independence from Spanish rule. Mexico began its preparations by changing these racial labels. The great plan of this time period was to acculturate the Indians to help in the colonization of the new independent Mexico. The Indians transformation in their political, social and cultural view attributed to their legal status and land ownership rights during the Mexican period of 1821 to 1848. I believe that the Indians had been use to changes such as the change during the Spanish rule to the change under the Mexican republic and continuing with the changes under the United States. It is the intent of this essay to examine the integration of the Indians into the new independent Mexico. The Indians change begins with the Laws of Burgos in 1512, passed by the Spanish crown to establish the procedures and
"Indians were expected to change their lifestyle by adopting new traditions and practices and shedding old ones; in cases where the culture of the Indians was practical, they were encouraged to recombine the old and the new to produce bicultural innovations (Menchaca 2001:173) The Spanish crown viewed the Indians as barbaric. laws to govern the Indians (Hanke 1949:24; Menchaca 2001:51). The changes in the Indians' legal status and land ownership continue with changes in their social life. The political structure of the Indians was also changed due to the land provisions established during this period. In order for the Indians to adapt to the religion, mission systems were set-up in different areas throughout the area under the Spanish rule. Yet again, at the beginning of the Mexican period in 1821, the reaffirmation of the 1812 Law of Cadiz under the Plan de Iguala went into affect, granting Mexican citizenship to all excluding slaves. The Indians had to adapt to the language and religion in order to move up in the legal structure under the new republic. The Indians were also offered land ownership under the new republic. The Indians gained political power under this new republic, although, the colonists still controlled the assemblies. This was a change in lifestyle and also a change of social practices. "The tenets of Catholicism were also introduced to the Christian Indians. "Under this plan, race could no longer be legally used to prevent Indians, mestizos, and free afromestizos from exercising the citizenship rights enjoyed by Whites" (Menchaca 2001:161). In order to communicate with the missionaries, the Indians were introduced to the Spanish language through education, although they were forced to use Spanish. The Indians were to practice and adopt the Catholic church.
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