I am not Caddo. Nahualism is not a tribal belief system, it is a portable state sponsored animist belief system of great antiquity. In Mesoamerica in the large Native American populations in what is now Mexico tribal beliefs had long subsumed into what became large international belief systems. The two most powerful international sytems were the Snake and the Jaguar traditions up until about 1,800 or 2,000 years ago a new tradition that is synthesized from several traditions including the Snake and the Jaguar was initiated by a man named Zamma who became the first Quetzal Coatl.
In the movie "Apocalypto" the traditions that were exemplified in the city are a Toltec inspired pairing of two traditions of Quetzal Coatl and Tlaloc. The Mayan post classical resurgence in pyramid building is directly attributed to the Toltec who themselves were refugees from the North Central part of Mexico. The main capital of Tula was destroyed by war. The traditions were improperly and controversially presented in an impious and cynical way in the movie Apocalypto.
In Mesoamerica alliances between nations were based upon great theocratic traditions such as Quetzal Coatl, Tlaloc, Coatl or snake and Huizilipochtli which was specifically Mexica. That is how the Toltec refugees were able to become the rulers of the Maya a people different speaking. The traditions were organizing principles of their civilizations.
The Toltec too were an ancient amalgam of 7 nations, six homogenous nations of a people referred to as the Toltec Chichimeca and one heterogeneous nation of people referred to as Nanoalca. The name Chichimeca we were taught comes from the root noun in Nahuatl Chichi, "a woman's breast". In the Toltec Chichimecan original tribal language as immature or uncivilized or nursing people, like a child of the earth. Originally Chichimeca was a meaning of innocence and naivite but became a perjorative appellage of bumpkin, poor in culture! The name Nanoalca was also coined by the more numerous Toltec Chichimeca peoples meaning those of poor or improper speach. The Nanoalca were an homogenous people from many nations that came together when the mother civilization the Olmec broke apart due to conflict between the Snake and the Jaguar traditions under pressure from the Quetzal Coatl tradition.
No, women are not demeaned by men or women being respectful towards each other's space. Are you attributing modern Western sensibilities and its overreaction in feminism as anything but an apoplexy from Western disempowerment of women? When I am at my relative's and I talk alone with my Aunt, I talk as a diminuative intimate, a child tense. When my uncle comes home I can no longer talk in this tense so I then talk with my uncle in a man's tense. Both men and women may insist upon this separation for different reasons that are their own. Women in our culture owned the lodge and a woman could put a man's belongings outside and they were divorced. To view this tradition in the light of Western infedelity with gender is not correct. When a woman that is not family gathers up a head of steam on you it is a way to insist upon space. More often than not women employ this separation as an insistence upon respect. When either gender breaks faith then either gender may insist upon it. I spun it the way I did because I wanted to see if she was going to respond as an Indian or a Western woman. "my bad!" I don't know if her culture has the same tenses.
The last paragon of our tribal culture died not too long ago in my tribe, Mike Swims Under. I don't know if he passed on his authority. I learned from my grandma. In my youth I kept going back to the REZ with my grandmother in hopes of finding someone to learn our traditions under but Mike Swims Under kept a low profile and didn't like speaking English.
Nahualism was outlawed and practitioners that have been exposed were killed outright. There is a book writen in the 17th Century Spanish Nahual hunter and killer was Hernando Ruiz de Alarcon. He wrote a book on his experiences. You can read the book of his experiences at the following website.
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0095-182X(198924)13%3A1%3C105%3ATOTHST%3E2.0.CO%3B2-DOur tradition has been attacked by the Federal Government three times. Originally we were situatated near New Orleans. The last big military move by the Federal Government pushed us north from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Lake Charles. The last leader of our tradition and my teacher was assassinated in 1987 after the FBI failed to convict him on trumped up Federal Charges. I would have no know and trust you very well before I would entrust you with my responsibilities towards the elders in our tradition. It would have to be about something much more substantial than to address an internet argument.
I have a very narrow mandate to establish a legal non-profit institution in order to legalize and protect the tradition. I am in the process of writing down our oral tradition in 13 volumes of Tomes that are the property of the non-profit organization. These Tomes will never be published publicly and remain the private intellectual property of the non-profit corporation iin perpetuity.
Nahualgo,
This is your response to Debbiebear:
'' Besides on my Reservation I wouldn't have to trouble speaking with you, you are a woman not my relative and you are married. I would however enjoy speaking with your husband in the proper company of men and not be bothered with woman with an axe to grind. I see most of the trouble I am having on this board is with self righteous women with a self righteous axe to grind. "
Are you saying you do not find this remark to be demeaning and that men more important than woman?
Nahualgo if I understand correctly your are of the Caddo Nation? If so as you have said I have a problem when elders are not sought out when the possiblity of defaming another Native American is concerned.
So if you would ,could I have the names and way of contact of your Elders or whomever you answer to. You can private message me if you like. We can clear this all up once and for all if I could talk with them as you would have me to.
I have read many of the sites you have posted on and refrain for the moment from any opinion until I speak with your Elder.
Wado Weheli
