Native Knowledge in Colonial Latin America: Interview with Ezekiel Stear (Part 2)

As the Spanish Empire become more consolidated, language and writing became more and more important — both for the Spanish government and for native peoples. In part 2 of this interview we learn how indigenous people in Colonial Spanish America preserved their knowledge in the face of restrictive government policies.

Listen to Part 1

Highlights of Part 2

• Why cities were so important for preserving indigenous knowledge and the role that notaries plaid in preservation.
• Why the countryside was where cultural practices were preserved and what the Inquisition had to do with that.
• Why it took over 200 years for Spanish to become the main language of Mexico.
• What were the quipus of Perú and how they were used for storing knowledge.
• The Inca rebellion of Perú in 1781.

To Learn More

Books

• William O’Connell, After Moctezuma: Indigenous Politics and Self-Government in Mexico City, 1524–1730

Websites

• Ezekiel Stear’s faculty page at Auburn University
• Ezekiel’s website: Forgotten Lives of Latin America

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