The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-03-07
AN ISOLATED TRIBE.
Self-0overning Community of In
dams in Vera Cruz.
Only People in the Republic of Mex
leo who Have Maintained the
individuality of Their
Race.

Buried in the heart of a civilized
powerful and progressive foreign peo-
pie a little handful of Indians have
lived for 300 years, and have contrived
to keep during all that time their ma
tional characteristics, their traditions
and their individuality. If you seek
them you will find them in Amatlan
de los Reyes, village in the state OF
Vera Cruz, Mexico. They are known
as the Amatecas. A visit to Amatian
will well repay anyone who has any
interest whatever in seeing curious
people with individual habits, customs
and civilization, says Modern Mexico.
1t is no uncommon thing in Mexico
to find tribe of Indians that has made
a determined effort to maintain its
individuality against the encroach-
ments of a higher civilization. But
the Anna tecas are perhaps the only
people in the republic who have sue
ceeded in retaining for themselves
what is practically government
1t must not be understood that they
make any pretentions of being indie
pendent of the control of the federal
authorities in the City of Mexico
They long ago gave up as hopeless any
struggle against the power of the
Spaniard, and later on the Mexican
nation, and this submission is response
BILE for the fact that they have been
able to retain their ancient Gust
habits and modes of government.
When the Spaniards, under the con
queror Herman Cortez, landed in Mex
leo, near Vera Cruz, and began the
peror, Montezuma, sent several
messengers and spies to bring him
news of the mysterious strangers
Among others sent was Ocelotl, or
the Tiger Prince. as he is known in
history and legend. Ocelotl was one
of the best Aztec artists, and the en-
peror commissioned him to make
sketches of the invaders, so that he
might judge of them by their appear
ance. He was also to bring back a
detailed report of the strength of the
forces of the Spaniards, who were be-
lieved to be the warriors of the Fair
God, who had come from the Land OF
the Sun, as they were to do, according
10 an old and universally believed ira
dition.
Oeeiotl brought back a complete re-
port to the emperor, and gave it as
his opinion, from what he had seen
of the strangers, that it would require
all the strength and cunning of the
Aztec empire to contend against them
Montezuma was so angry at this I'M
favorable report that he ordered
Ocelotl to be publicly burned as a cow
ard who wished to brighten with child
ash tales the courage of his warriors,
who had until then been ever success
full. Ocelotl. however, had many
friends at tie court of the emperor
and through their aid he succeeded in
escaping from prison and in getting to
the land of TlaXcala, which was the
hereditary enemy of the Aztec en-
pira.
Now there is a curious legend still
told by the Amatecas to the effect
that Ocelotl stopped at Amatlan, on
his way back from Vera Cruz, and
that the people flocked about him
to hear what he had to say. Ocelotl
told them of the fair faces of the
strangers. their garments, which
shone as bright as the sun itself; the
great beasts they rode, and how they
came armed with the weapon of the
god of thunder and lightning. The
people of Amatlan held a meeting in
the public square, and when the
chiefs had heard the story of Ocelotl
they decided that the newcomers
were indeed the warriors of the EN-
peror of the Sun, and that there was
therefore, no use whatever in. oppos-
ing them. So they sent a message to
Cortez saying that they had decided
to become his friend.
There is another legend among the
AZtecs to the effect that the people
of TlaXcala did not treat Ocelotl, the
tiger prince, well and that he soon
left their city and wandered south
until he came to Amatlan. where he
was warmly welcomed by the people
He remained with them many years
and became their chief, not their
king, for Amatlan had always been,
in its form of government, republic
an, and is still so to-day.
The people of Amatlan practically
govern themselves to-day without
any interference on the part of the
Mexican government. They pay their
federal taxes promptly, as they have
done for the past 300 years, under
one name or another, but there their
duties stop. They may be said to
constitute little Aztec nation in the
heart of the Mexican republic. They
have their own hereditary chiefs
their own aristocracy in direct line
reaching back beyond the Spanish
conquest. They retain their own Gus.
toms, habits, manners of dress, ano
modes of thought. They are nom
1nally Catholics, but the ancient Az.
tee mythology is largely mixed with
their religious beliefs. They have
hundreds of charms which are sun.
posed to be effective against certain
diseases, dangers, or accidents. And
there is spirit of some kind con.
nected with almost every charm
This spirit was, not so many years
ago, an Aztec god or demi-god. The
Amateca is therefore a most curiou:
combination of Christian and pagan,
civilized citizen and savage. He has
his own schools, but his teachers are
III l..