Huastec

I

Introduction

Huastec, Native Americans, related to the Maya, who speak the Huastec language. Huastecs live in the mountains and foothills of the Oriental range of the Sierra Madre in the states of San Luis Potosí and Veracruz, Mexico. The Huastec language belongs to the Mayan family of languages. However, because the Huastecs live nearly 1600 km (1000 mi) from other Mayan-speaking communities, the Huastec language has developed a distinctive vocabulary and grammar. The 1990 Mexican census reported 120,739 speakers of Huastec, most of whom also speak Spanish. The name Huastec comes from cuextecatl, the term the Aztecs used for Huastecs at the time of the Spanish conquest in the 1520s (see Aztec Empire). Huastecs refer to themselves as teenek.

II

History

The ancestors of the modern Huastecs left the Maya homeland in the mountains of Guatemala beginning about 2200 bc and gradually migrated north along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Before the Spanish conquest, Huastecs occupied a large region in northeastern Mexico. Although a few Huastec towns paid tribute to the Aztec Empire most were independent. Huastec communities were not organized into larger political units, but they formed shifting alliances with each other in times of conflict. According to 16th-century scholar and priest Bernardino de Sahagún, the Huastecs filed their teeth into points, a common practice among many pre-Columbian peoples in Mexico and Central America. They were renowned for drinking great quantities of pulque, an alcoholic drink made from cactus juice. Their textiles were highly prized and traded throughout Mesoamerica.

After the Spanish conquest of Mexico, many Huastecs were sent as slaves to the West Indies. Many more died from diseases introduced by the Spanish. Spanish settlers and mestizos, people of mixed European and Native American ancestry, gradually drove the Huastecs from the fertile coastal plains into the mountainous areas where they live today.

Most Huastecs live in scattered farmsteads, although some have established second homes in modern villages where electricity is available. Huastec houses are simple oval or round structures of vertical poles bound together with vines and covered with palm leaf thatch. Because the climate is hot and humid, house walls are left unplastered so that air can enter. Households, which may include extended families and several dwellings, belong to communities that are usually centered around a school. The communities are organized into municipios (municipal districts), named after a main town center. Although few Huastecs live in towns, many visit regularly to attend the weekly market, church, or school.

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III

Culture

Huastecs grow corn (maize), coffee, and beans for their own use. Most farms also have a vegetable garden and some fruit trees. Many Huastecs cultivate coffee and sugarcane to sell to others. Some Huastecs earn additional money through paid labor or the sale of garden produce, cooked food, and other items at weekly markets. There are few roads, and Huastecs travel mainly by foot.

Men are generally responsible for house construction and for the care of fields and livestock. Women take care of children, the house, and the garden, and prepare food, gather firewood, and carry water from streams or wells. This division of labor is not rigid, and all family members, including children, are expected to help when needed. Most children attend small local primary schools, but few go beyond sixth grade. Most adults over 40 are illiterate.

Although most Huastecs are members of the Roman Catholic Church, they retain elements of their ancient religion, such as a strong belief in magic. Traditional Huastec stories tell of ancient times and supernatural beings. Because of poverty, poor sanitation, and lack of medical care, diseases are common, and infant mortality rates are high. Sick people depend on native curers, who use medicinal plants and prayers to treat illnesses.

The Mexican government now encourages people to move from the countryside to small villages by promising them running water and electricity. Along with electricity comes television, which typically has an enormous impact on traditional cultures. It seems likely that the next generation will see a radical change in the Huastec way of life.

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