[EVENT] Ancient Writing, Contemporary Voices: Decolonising the Mesoamerican Quincentenary

The event 'Ancient Writing, Contemporary Voices: Decolonising the Mesoamerican Quincentenary' to be held digitally by the British Museum between June 21-25 2021, critically commemorates 500 years since the fall of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, in what is now Mexico City, to Spanish conquerors.

This online event showcases an ongoing project in which a group of Indigenous archaeologists from different parts of Mesoamerica are using their own contemporary Indigenous languages, as well as their academic knowledge, to create new interpretations of pictorial manuscripts and glyphic inscriptions from the British Museum’s collection.

Our project underlines the importance of including descendent communities in studies of their heritage as well as the need for decolonising museums through collaborative work.

The lectures will be in Indigenous languages, Spanish and English, in order to reach new audiences in Mexico and Central America and will also platform non-academic specialists to broaden appreciation for other knowledge systems.

Alongside academic talks, the event programme will comprise artistic representations such as film, theatre, fashion, and poetry.

Date

June 21-25, 2021– 500 years since the conquest of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan by Spain. The 21^st of June is the birthday of Lord Eight Deer Jaguar Claw, a prominent Indigenous ruler from the Mixtec region and the protagonist of the Tonindeye (Zouche-Nuttall) Codex.

15:00 – 18:00 BST

Register here.

Programme Summary

• Introductions by Indigenous leaders and museum staff
• New interpretations of the Tonindeye (Zouche-Nuttall) and Xiuhpohualli de Tenochtitlan (Aubin) Codices, and the Yaxchilan lintels
• Readings of these texts in Indigenous languages
• Roundtable discussions of the significance of these collections and new interpretations for people in contemporary Mesoamerica
• Creative: film, fashion, theatre, and poetry
• Download the full programme here.
   

Language

This bilingual multi-day event is aimed at a general public based in Europe and America. Indigenous language participants will translate their contributions in these languages into Spanish simultaneously.