Can anyone tell me where I can find records of indigenous family members in Mexico. I know there are some listed in the regular archives such as the LDS family history library but is there any other form of registering births, deaths etc of indigenous people of Mexico?
Thank you Rossana
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Darwin
looking for indigenous
The Catholic Church has had a very important role in recording data of individuals throughout Mexico's history after the arrival of Europeans. Most people, including natives, were recorded on parish records. Some older parish books tended to segregate people and sometimes there were "libros de indios" (for indigenous people) and "libros de castas" (for everyone else). You may need some luck to research your indigenous ancestors because often, the surnames of the children or parents were not listed, and that makes it even more difficult.
I encountered this issue when trying to find a marriage record for one of my ancestors. I kept searching for the groom's last name, and found nothing. Eventually, I decided to look for the bride and I was able to find the record. She was listed as "espanola" and it listed her last name as well as her parents. The groom, however, was listed as "indio" and there was no mention of his last name or the last name of his parents.
Steve in NC
indigenous records in Mexico
I'm going to comment so I can keep up with this conversation. I'm looking for the same. I have only one line of the four grandparents I'm researching that is traceable beyond two generations. They are listed as "indigena" so I'm stumped, too!
indigenous records in Mexico
Allison,
What are there names, maybe somebody has already researched them.
Danny C. Alonso
On Sat, Mar 11, 2017 at 6:40 PM wrote:
> I'm going to comment so I can keep up with this conversation. I'm looking
> for
> the same. I have only one line of the four grandparents I'm researching
> that
> is traceable beyond two generations. They are listed as "indigena" so I'm
> stumped, too!
>
indigenous records
the only place I have seen the band or tribe actually named was in the records for Sonora but they don't list grandparents in any records, marriage or baptism. I was checking records in Altar, Sonora
Linda Castanon-Long
indigenous records in Mexico (Jalisco)
Olivia Serrano, b 1923 in Rancho de la Mora and registered in Villa Guerrero listed as "indigena." Her parents also listed that way.
Father, Gumersindo Serrano (his paternal line runs through Coculitan and Tlaltenango de Sánchez Román all the way back to 1690, but I've not transcribed the church records yet.) At the time of his marriage he lived in Rancho Corral Blanco. I can't find anything on this rancho anywhere.
The mother was Magdalena Rios, of Rancho de la Mora and her family goes back a couple of generations to "Cuisquito" near Totatiche in Jalisco.
Do any of these locations ring a bell. I can't find anything anywhere so far in three or four days of looking to identify these "ranchos."
Thanks!
dicc_cubas - RE: indigenous records in Mexico (Jalisco)
I didn't see the rancho you listed but here is a great resource http://biblio2.colmex.mx/bibdig/dicc_cubas/base3.htm but keep it in mind that it is VERY SLOW.
joseph
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Research [mailto:research-bounces@lists.nuestrosranchos.org] On
> Behalf Of allison@allisonpeacock.com
> Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2017 12:32 AM
> To: research@lists.nuestrosranchos.org
> Subject: [Nuestros Ranchos] indigenous records in Mexico (Jalisco)
>
> Olivia Serrano, b 1923 in Rancho de la Mora and registered in Villa
> Guerrero listed as "indigena." Her parents also listed that way.
> Father, Gumersindo Serrano (his paternal line runs through Coculitan
> and Tlaltenango de Sánchez Román all the way back to 1690, but I've not
> transcribed the church records
> yet.) At the time of his marriage he lived in Rancho Corral Blanco. I
> can't find anything on this rancho anywhere. The mother was Magdalena
> Rios, of Rancho de la Mora and her family goes back a couple of
> generations to "Cuisquito" near Totatiche in Jalisco. Do any of these
> locations ring a bell.
> I can't find anything anywhere so far in three or four days of looking
> to identify these "ranchos." Thanks!
>
ranchos resource
This is GREAT Joseph. Thanks. I did find a few of my smaller neighborhoods listed. And I appreciate you mentioning that it was slow. I really thought it didn't work at all! You have to click on the name and then go make a cup of coffee waiting on it to load. It's precious when it does finally load the page, though. Good info!
Am I correct in assuming that most indigenous people so assimilated and were Christianized and didn't do anything to call attention to their status? So not a tribal roll as we have the U.S.?
Slightly off topic for the indigenous question. And I thought maybe identifying the ranchos locations might help lend some discovery to that quest. The best I'm seeing now is mentioned that building Totatiche required a large army of indigenous workers and guards.
Onward...!
Indigenous Lines
Hello,
In reference to indigenous lines, its been my experience that once you've identified through the records that your ancestor was designated as "Indio" at some point it gets hard to trace them. In my case, I was only able to find 1-2 more generations back and then they became untraceable. Its possible that their records could be in another city, having migrated to where you originally found them. Depending on time frame, you can look to cities where people move to or away from, usually for work. In the case of Nueva Galicia, some moved to Zacatecas for mining work. When the mines became less profitable, many moved to Jalisco for work. A portion of my ancestors went from Los Altos to Zacatecas 1700 & 1800's and then back to Jalisco in the late 19th century.
Also its also possible that your indigenous roots may be an amalgamation of several ancestors over time so therefore, finding that one Indio may be hard.
Finally, when I found an ancestor that was an Indio or Mestizo, the record never indicated what tribe they were from.
I am not really sure why records for Indios do not exist early on or in the same quantity as Espanols but perhaps someone in the group may know more.
Suerte,
Maven
Indigenous Lines
I'm beginning to think you're right, Pau. It was that the mother and grandparents listed as "indigena" that threw us off. The more I research the more I see that aside from the migration that you describe perfectly about 200 years ago (and that only an hour move) they resided in the same area for more than 400 years. This make the amalgam theory more plausible. Unless there was some specific intermarriage in an indigenous community that was Christianized long ago that held up.
I guess the visit to the area is the only thing that will solve our mystery.
Thanks!
Allison
Indigenous Lines
DNA testing may help some, you should check the missions records.
On Mar 16, 2017 10:44 AM, wrote:
> Hello, In reference to indigenous lines, its been my experience that once
> you've identified through the records that your ancestor was designated as
> "Indio" at some point it gets hard to trace them. In my case, I was only
> able
> to find 1-2 more generations back and then they became untraceable. Its
> possible that their records could be in another city, having migrated to
> where you originally found them. Depending on time frame, you can look to
> cities where people move to or away from, usually for work. In the case of
> Nueva Galicia, some moved to Zacatecas for mining work. When the mines
> became
> less profitable, many moved to Jalisco for work. A portion of my ancestors
> went from Los Altos to Zacatecas 1700 & 1800's and then back to Jalisco in
> the late 19th century. Also its also possible that your indigenous roots
> may
> be an amalgamation of several ancestors over time so therefore, finding
> that
> one Indio may be hard. Finally, when I found an ancestor that was an Indio
> or
> Mestizo, the record never indicated what tribe they were from. I am not
> really sure why records for Indios do not exist early on or in the same
> quantity as Espanols but perhaps someone in the group may know more.
> Suerte,
> Maven
>
Indigenous Lines
Maybe they refused to be baptized and change their indigenous name, so no record of them prior to being baptized in the faith.
Emilie
Port Orchard, WA
________________________________
From: Research on behalf of JOSE L. Zambrano
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2017 10:57 AM
To: research@nuestrosranchos.org
Subject: Re: [Nuestros Ranchos] Indigenous Lines
DNA testing may help some, you should check the missions records.
On Mar 16, 2017 10:44 AM, wrote:
> Hello, In reference to indigenous lines, its been my experience that once
> you've identified through the records that your ancestor was designated as
> "Indio" at some point it gets hard to trace them. In my case, I was only
> able
> to find 1-2 more generations back and then they became untraceable. Its
> possible that their records could be in another city, having migrated to
> where you originally found them. Depending on time frame, you can look to
> cities where people move to or away from, usually for work. In the case of
> Nueva Galicia, some moved to Zacatecas for mining work. When the mines
> became
> less profitable, many moved to Jalisco for work. A portion of my ancestors
> went from Los Altos to Zacatecas 1700 & 1800's and then back to Jalisco in
> the late 19th century. Also its also possible that your indigenous roots
> may
> be an amalgamation of several ancestors over time so therefore, finding
> that
> one Indio may be hard. Finally, when I found an ancestor that was an Indio
> or
> Mestizo, the record never indicated what tribe they were from. I am not
> really sure why records for Indios do not exist early on or in the same
> quantity as Espanols but perhaps someone in the group may know more.
> Suerte,
> Maven
>
indigenous records in Mexico (Jalisco)
it's rare for records to specify tribal/ethnic identity(in regards to indigenous peoples) affiliations so you probably won't be able to pinpoint a tribe from paper trail alone