The Tepecanos were formerly a tribe of some importance, occupying
considerable territory on the southern slopes of the Sierra Madre range
in Western Mexico. Here they were found by the early Spanish conquerors
who refer to them as Chichimec tribes. Their subsequent history is yet
to be culled from prosy Mexican records. They probably fought valiantly
against the white invaders but were defeated. As the country became
settled and European blood introduced, the conservative members of the
tribe continually retreated, until to-day they occupy but one village,
Azqueltán, in the northern part of the state of Jalisco, and a few
square miles of surrounding territory. Their numbers are reduced to a
few hundred and many of these are mixed-bloods.
Physically the Tepecanos are closely akin to the other native tribes of
western Mexico. The same may be said as regards their language, though
in this respect the differences are greater. The Tepecano language is
very closely related to the Tepehuane, Papago and Pima of northwestern
Mexico and Arizona and more distantly related to Huichol, Cora, Aztec
and Ute.
Little of a connected nature has been written on the Tepecano. The
following list includes practically all the extant literature:
OROZCO Y BERRA, MANUEL. Geografía de las lenguas y carta etnográfica
de México; México, 1864. pp. 49, 279, 282.
LUMHOLTZ, CARL. Unknown Mexico, vol. II, p. 123, New York, 1902.
HŘDLIČKA, ALEŠ. The Chichimecs and their Ancient Culture. (_American
Anthropologist_, N. S., vol. III, 1903.)
Physiological and Medical Observations. (Bulletin 34, Bureau of
American Ethnology, Washington, 1908.)
LEÓN, NICOLÁS. Familias Lingüísticas de México, Mexico, 1902.
THOMAS, CYRUS, and SWANTON, JOHN R. Indian Languages of Mexico and
Central America. (Bulletin 44, Bureau of American
Ethnology, Washington, 1911.)
MASON, J. ALDEN. The Tepehuan Indians of Azqueltán. (Proceedings 18th
International Congress of Americanists, London, 1912.)
The Fiesta of the Pinole at Azqueltán. (_The Museum Journal_,
III, University Museum, Philadelphia, 1912.)
Tepecano, A Piman Language of Western Mexico. (Annals of the New
York Academy of Science, vol. XXV, New York, 1917.)
Tepecano Prayers. (_International Journal of American
Linguistics_, vol. I, II, 1918.)
Four Mexican Spanish Folk Tales from Azqueltán, Jalisco.
(_Journal of American Folklore_, vol. XXV, 1912.)
Folk Tales of the Tepecanos. (_Journal of American Folklore_,
vol. XXVII, 1914.)