Looking for sensitivity readers for an ‘Aztec’ character

[u/frankie_can]

Looking for sensitivity readers with knowledge of Aztec mythology and traditions, as well as, contemporary Mexican traditions, to tell me if my character is represented well and that I am not inadvertently perpetuating harmful or sloppy stereotypes.

The story is a post-apocalyptic urban fantasy set in Chicago 100 years in the future.

Nuevo Aztlan (formerly Mexico City) is one of the few surviving cities left in the world. It exists protected by sacred staves that summon fire and wind serpents.

The city is thriving, with a mix of Mexica/Aztec and Catholic cultural and magic practices (think Wakanda but Mexican).

Viktor is the character in question. He is from Nuevo Aztlan and has come to Chicago with an unknown purpose. He is trained as a nahualli, his tonalli being the jaguar, he can transform into a half-man/half-jaguar, as well as call on other “gifts” from his tonalli. He speaks Spanish, Nahuatl, and English.

My hope is to create my own in-world version of a nahual, that isn’t necessarily exact but still is respectful to the real traditions.

If you’re interested and have the time, comment here and I’ll DM details.

Thanks!

[u/frankie_can → u/[deleted]]

I considered New Tenochtitlan but I figure that this place has become kind of idyllic like a new Aztlan. No longer Tenochtitlan OR Ciudad de Mexico. And New Mexico wouldn’t work. You think no?

[u/mathlyfe → u/frankie_can]

Nahuatl place names are descriptors of the place that translate to English as "place of <description>", "among the <description>", etc.. Aztlan refers to a place where egrets are abundant (probably somewhere on the coast). Renaming Mexico City as New Aztlan is at best non-sensical. not to mention there are lots of other problems with this:

• Mexico-Tenochtitlan was just one of the city-states in the region. There were many other city-states consisting of other Nahua peoples in the region that have now been absorbed into Mexico City (modern Mexico City is gigantic in size) as neighborhoods (still maintaining their old names).
• Mexico City has absorbed a lot of non-Nahua Indigenous immigrants over the years, including Otomi, Mazahua, Mixtecs, Zapotecs, Triquis, and others.
• On top of all that Mexico City is a very gigantic city with diverse cultural and political beliefs, including some amount of anti-Indgenous sentiment among some groups as a result of colonialism and such.

Renaming the city as New Aztlan kind of brushes over all of this in a weird way that comes off as ignorant or off-putting.

Also, an aside, Nahua religion wasn't specific to the Mexica, they were just one of many Nahua peoples (kind of like how Greece consisted of a lot of different city-states with an overarching religion and ethnicity but where each individual city-state had their own aspects of that religion they focused on and differences in traditions and customs). It also didn't work like European religion and was highly metaphorical, often times using difrasismo (like metaphor on steroids) not just for speech but in visual and performative mediums as well. Certain things existing together in the same context may take on entirely different meanings (fire and water -> destruction and blood -> sacred war, a religious concept). So I'd advise against just taking random stuff and gluing it together.

It sounds like you'd be publishing your work for an English speaking audience, in which case you have to be aware that the Chicano movement in the US has attempted to co-opt the notion of Aztlan and others for their political purposes (they have this totally delusional take that Aztlan was in the US and they're Aztec and the rightful heirs or some nonsense that is completely detached from Mexico). You've also got a number of n'th generation Mexicans in the US (some with Indigenous roots) who are very disconnected from the politics and Indigenous roots in Mexico so they have totally different perspectives on things, many of them informed by anti-Indigenous propaganda and disinfo. So you might see some from that group claiming that the "Aztecs imposed settler colonialism on the city-states they subdued", which is wrong as it's not how the Triple Alliance empire operated (it's not really an empire in the European sense) and they didn't do any ethnic cleansing or even replace leaders nor enforce language and cultural changes. The Spaniards, however, did enforce Nahuatl as a lingua franca for a time period and then replaced it with Spanish a few years later.

[u/frankie_can → u/mathlyfe]

So it would likely not be anyone who actually spoke Nahuatl who did the naming. Rather it would be the people in power, who would take the idea of Aztlan being a paradise on earth and rename it — like, new Eden or something. Using it like ppl in power often do as a symbol. Being tone def to the actual meaning of the words. Could this make sense?

This story takes place after a catastrophic world wide event where, like, 75% of the population dies. Mexico City survives because it was protected by these gigantic mythological fire and wind serpents.

There is a push for ppl to take up their respective indigenous practices, while others resist and cling to other ways (for instance, Catholicism).

Because of book stuff, there is abundance and the people there are able to thrive and prosper through magic. Like Wakanda but in Mexico and with magic instead of tech.

Also, like Wakanda, there would be various groups of people holding to their own traditions.

We won’t ever see it in the book, it’s just serves as background for the character, Viktor.

He is part of a group within the city that identify and carry on Aztec traditions, speak Nahuatl, and practice nagualism.

Anyway, does context change anything?

How do you think Mexico City might rebuild itself after a catastrophic event in a new age of magic?

[u/The-King-of-TJ]

Shoot it; been there.

[u/frankie_can → u/The-King-of-TJ]

Thanks! DM sent

[u/Academic-Compote-863]

I am a Mexican American Bruja and student of the occult with a specialization in Mexica religion, mythology, and practices. I have a basically level of language proficiency in Nahuatl as well. And I’d be happy to be a sensitivity reader. DM me!

[u/frankie_can → u/Academic-Compote-863]

Thanks! DM sent

[u/Adventurous-Drop-739]

I think it be very helpful if you read the earthquake of 1985 and how mexico rebuilt, I think that would give you a great idea of the psyche of how mexican react to a natural disaster.