Tales From Aztlantis

Tales From Aztlantis

We explore Chicano, Mexicano, and Mesoamerican history, archaeology, and culture, and combat the spread of disinformation about these very topics. Your hosts Kurly Tlapoyawa and Ruben Arellano Tlakatekatl invite you to join them on a fascinating journey through Mesoamerica's past, present, and future!

Episodes

November 6, 2025 116 mins

We are joined By Dr. Magnus Pharao Hansen to discuss his new book "Nahuatl Nations: Language Revitalization and Semiotic Sovereignty in Indigenous Mexico."

Nahuatl Nations is a linguistic ethnography that explores the political relations between those Indigenous communities of Mexico that speak the Nahuatl language and the Mexican Nation that claims it as an important national symbol. Author Magnus Pharao Hansen ...

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In the blistering heat of New Mexico’s sun-baked earth, under the protective gaze of Okuu Pin–the Turtle Mountain that majestically stands guard over Albuquerque–a strange and persistent legend has taken hold. It’s a story of hidden Jews, of ancient rites disguised as Catholic rituals, and of shadowy ancestors who supposedly hid their true faith during the Inquisition. This is the tale of New Mexico’s crypto-Jews—a myth so tangled ...

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October 23, 2025 52 mins

Day of the Dead is Subversive Spirituality!

Long before the arrival of Europeans, some of the Indigenous Mesoamerican traditions of honoring the dead were celebrated with two specific feasts: Mikailwitl (feast of the dead), and Wey Mikailwitl (great feast of the dead). These feasts were celebrated in early August through mid-September. In fact, we are currently in the “month” of Mikailwitl right now, as it began on August...

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October 13, 2025 17 mins

It was October 9th, and the orange-tinted manchild sat hunched in the Oval Office, surrounded by his usual circus of bootlickers, propagandists, and professional ass-kissers. Cameras clicked, flags flapped, and the stench of urine, Axe body spray, and fascism filled the room. With a greasy Sharpie and a look of divine idiocy, he scrawled his signature across a proclamation declaring that every second Monday in October would hencefo...

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September 30, 2025 56 mins

During a 1990 visit to Mexico, Pope John Paul II confirmed the long-standing liturgical cult in honor of Juan Diego, officially beatifying him. This act set in motion the process of canonizing Juan Diego as the first saint Indigenous to the Americas. The Juan Diego Faithful were, of course, elated at the prospect. They only had to deal with one tiny problem: Juan Diego never existed.

In this episode we delve into the myth of Juan Di...

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September 25, 2025 56 mins

On November 26, 1988, a person by the name of Ramón Tirado delivered the “Consigna del sexto sol: Segunda consigna de Anáhuac” –or the “Mandate of the Sixth Sun: Second Mandate of Anahuac”– at the Convención de Anáhuac – or the “Anahuac Convention” – which was held in Mexico City. In this Episode, we take a look at the speech, discuss it's message, and explore it's contemporary significance. Enjoy!

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The Myth of New Mexican Spanish

This week we are joined by the official New Mexico State historian Rob Martinez! Rob joins us as we dissect the many myths surrounding the way Spanish is spoken in New Mexico. In this episode, we ask the question: is New Mexican Spanish actually an archaic and “pure” form of ancient Spanish?

Spoiler alert: Hell no, it isn’t!!

Our guest:

State Historian Rob Martine...

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September 11, 2025 58 mins

Proponents of the nepohualtzintzin hail it as a marvel of ancient Mesoamerica. Elevated as a symbol of mathematical sophistication, the device has captured the imagination of scholars and enthusiasts since the 1970s. However, a close examination of the available evidence raises questions about the nature and origin of the nepohualtzintzin. In this episode we dive into the bizarre history of the alleged "Aztec computer." 

<...

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September 2, 2025 16 mins

What happens when you invite Kurly Tlapoyawa to give the keynote address at a Latinx conference? Let's find out!

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Your Hosts:

Kurly Tlapoyawa is an archaeologist, ethnohistorian, and filmmaker. His research covers Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the historical connections between the two regions. He is the author of numerous books and has presented lectures at the U...

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August 29, 2025 43 mins

Today marks the 55th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium March, a movement of Chicano anti-war activists that built a broad-based coalition of Mexican-American groups to organize opposition to the Vietnam War. Led by activists from local colleges and members of the Brown Berets, a group with roots in the high school student movement that staged walkouts in 1968, the coalition peaked with an August 29, 1970 march in East Los Angel...

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In this special extended throwback episode, we are joined by Chicano author Scott Russell Duncan to talk about his new book "Old California Strikes Back" and the state of Chicano publishing!

"Old California Strikes Back is a modern Ramona Diary, the record tourists kept of the sites of Old California and the book Ramona and Hollywood movies that renamed and transformed them. A mix of fantasy and memoir, the author SRD...

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Is wokeness destroying the discipline of archaeology? Is chattel slavery a bad thing? And just how much does "Big Archaeology" pay, anyway? We break it all down as we are joined by Dr. Ken Feder to discuss his new book "Native America: The Story of the First Peoples." 


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Your Hosts:

Kurly Tlapoyawa is an archaeologist, ethnohistorian, and filmmaker. His ...

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August 14, 2025 68 mins

Danzantes, Mexicanistas, and other cultural practitioners often display a banner that they claim is the "original" and "true" banner of the Mexika people. Often referred to as the Panketzalli, Bandera de Cuitlahuac, or the Bandera de Victoria, this symbol can be found emblazoned on t-shirts, flags, dance regalia, murals and tattoos. But where does this image actually come from? And who created it?

listener commen...

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Today, we’re tackling a really fascinating and, frankly, provocative topic. We’re going to be talking about an article by Stephen Pearson titled “Indigenizing Settlers: The White Appalachian Self and the Colonialism Model of Appalachian Exploitation.” And it's a deep dive into how a specific group of people—White Appalachians—have, in some ways, come to see themselves as an Indigenous population. 

listener comments? Feedback? S...

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July 31, 2025 45 mins

August is Chicano Heritage month! To kick off the holidays, we explore the origin and meaning of the word Chicano. What does it mean to be a Chicano? Do Mexican Americans who hold right-wing views get to call themselves Chicano? Join your hosts as we dig into these topics!

End song: Indigena by Aztlan Underground
Used with permission (Tlazkamati, Yaotl Mazahua!)
https://youtu.be/DZTmWj2pQJE?si=8ZbmUSi5hTM8Dhv9

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Summary

In this episode, we discuss various themes surrounding Chicano and Mesoamerican history, including the impact of ICE raids on communities, the importance of mental health, and the creation of a corrido in memory of Jaime Alaniz. We delve into the mysteries of the Tecaxic Calixtlahuaca head and the Los Lunas Decalogue stone, exploring the myths and realities of ancient artifacts and the need for critical thinking in...

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Aztec Dinosaurs w/ Dr. David Anderson!

In July 1944, in the Mexican city of Acambaro, Guanajuato, a German businessman named Waldemar Julsrud came across a series of bizarre ceramic figurines said to resemble dinosaurs. These figurines have been promoted by young-Earth creationists as evidence for the coexistence of dinosaurs and humans! But what are these figurines, really? Today we are joined by Dr. David Anderson to ta...

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In this episode, Tlakatekatl critically examines the current political climate in the United States, particularly the increased targeting and detention of immigrants from Central and South America by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Tlakatekatl argues that ICE’s claims of targeting only criminals are false and that the agency is engaging in what amounts to kidnapping. 

Tlakatekatl also connects the rise of authoritarianism...

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In this throwback from Season 2 – Episode 35, we discuss the origin and antiquity of the words “Chicana” and “Chicano.” We start by explaining the origin of the episode which began many years earlier as a blog response to a commentary piece by acclaimed author and scholar, Ilan Stavans. We then explore the history of the term, its evolution as an identity for Mexican Americans, and its deep Indigenous Mesoamerican roots. Que viva l...

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June 24, 2025 41 mins

Given the current climate here in Occupied America, we thought it would be worth taking a look at the Chicano Moratorium march of August 29, 1970. The event serves as a good example of how we organized as a community to speak out against an unjust war and the price our people paid fighting in it. This episode was originally released as a Premium (paid only) episode, but we wanted to give everyone a chance to check out our discussio...

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