We Will Rise - rebuilding the Mexikah Nation (Paperback)

by Kurly Tlapoyawa (Author) "Aztlan. The very mention of the word itself conjures up images of our glorious Xikano heritage - images of a past firmly rooted in Ixachilan,..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, Motekuhzoma Xokoyotzin, Concha Michel (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Mexikah Tiwi!!! - Forward Mexicanos!!!

A bold cultural movement is emerging among the Chicano-Mexicano people. A movement known as "Mexikayotl" (Meh-Shee-Kah-Yoht) which seeks to reclaim, preserve, and advance their Indigenous heritage. But to define Mexikayotl as a mere movement is not enough - it is a vibrant living philosophy, a means by which Chicano-Mexicanos can reclaim their rightful place in the world. The book you now hold in your hands is an introduction to this way of life, offering a glimpse into the complex Indigenous heritage of the Chicano-Mexicano nation.

As an Indigenous (Native American) people, the majority of Chicano-Mexicanos have been denied the ability to fully embrace and celebrate their cultural heritage. They have had worthless labels such as "Spanish," "Hispanic," "Latino," and even "Indo-Hispano" deliberately thrust upon them - labels which deny their Native roots and replace their cultural identity with that of a white European. Mexikayotl offers a solution to this ignorant practice of demographic genocide.

To have a Mexikah identity is a proud and assertive cultural statement. The word, within its modern context, describes an Indigenous (ethnic) Mexican - a member of one of the many Indigenous nations which thrive in the country of Mexico. It is an identity which allows detribalized Chicano-Mexicanos to openly embrace their Native heritage. To share a common Mexikah identity is not to deny your Purepecha, Raramuri, Yaqui or Mixteka blood - Mexikayotl is not about division. It is an open declaration that even after 500+ years of cultural imperialism and Hispanic genocide, Chicano-Mexicanos remain a proud nation of Indigenous people!

About the Author
At age 20, Tlapoyawa set out to write this book as a resource for his sister, whose public school teachers refused to accept any information about Mexikan history that did not come directly from a book. He began to take what he was being taught by maestros and jefes of Mexikah Dance, as well as his mother and the books she had saved for him from the Chicano Movement, and put them into an accessible format geared for youth. Even though most of the "official" written histories available are full of the same old stereotypes and Eurocentric misinterpretations, Tlapoyawa did begin to find books that held the truth - from noted historians and Mexikanistas such as Dr. Romerovargas Yturbide, Miguel Leon-Portilla, Arturo Meza Gutierrez, Miguel Angel Mendoza, Jack D. Forbes and other scholars. Over the course of eight years, Kurly has amassed a huge collection of written accounts that no historian, scholar or certainly school teacher could dismiss. And still, it is only the beginning. As one of his primary teachers, Paz, told him, this book is a "good Mexikah primer." The quest for truth, beauty and knowledge will never end, and will never stray far from the people who live the culture. Tlapoyawa is founder and national representative of the Mexika Eagle Society; a danzante under Tleyankanke Patricio Zamora in Kalpulli Ehekatl; a former member of MEChA at UNM and El Partido Nacional de la Raza Unida of New Mexico.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing (July 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1553693043
• ISBN-13: 978-1553693048
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #732,092 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars illegal?!, May 30, 2006

By	Tlakatekatl (Te-jaztlan) - See all my reviews

Whatever opinions you may have on Xikano-Mexikano people, the truth is that we're not illegals on this land. Tlapoyawa gives it to you straight and tells it like it is. Citing acclaimed and reknowned scholars and authors, he takes you step by step through the different chapters of historical Mexican culture and identity. After reading this compelling and thought provoking book, there will be no doubt in your mind of the ties and right Mexikah people have on the land now known as the Southwest. Aztlan is not a myth; it is a documented historical ancestral homeland of the Nawatl speaking people, and we, the descendants of the original people of this continent, have the right to migrate freely back and forth as we please, following in the tradition of our ancestors. This book is a must read for truth and culture seekers, myth de-bunkers, and students in Indigenous/Native American and Chicano Studies.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book offers not only history, but a framework for liberation, December 2, 2002

By	Ilwixochitl (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews

"We Will Rise" is based on the belief that Mexicano/Chicanos must begin our liberation from the correct point of reference. The book
begins not with the Chicano Movement of the 1970s, or the Treaty of Guadalupe in 1848, or even the Spanish invasion of Mexiko in
1519. It begins with our origins in the present-day Southwest U.S. thousands of years ago. It brings the reader full-circle to our current situation as an occupied nation in the Southwest. It offers a system for lifting ourselves to our former greatness and unity as a people, not through violence, but through Mexikayotl, in solidarity with our northern native brothers and sisters. It does all this in a very easy-to-read style, with clarity as well as beautiful original artwork. It is perfect for students of all ages. A truly uplifting book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Mexikayotl2012, June 27, 2009

By	Hector Garcia "Mexikayotl2012" (Anahuak) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a great book for those in the beginning stages of learning Nahua History. Or Aztec/Indigenous History.
Kurly Tlapoyawa's work on this book was eloquently structured for easy reading with vast information.
A must read.