A Portrait of Mexico, 1960s

since the dawn of civilization man has followed the trail of water and vegetation to where he might exist from Central Asia he moved both East and West East toward the Pacific Ocean and West up the shores of the [Music] Atlantic he left in his wake the symbols of his culture and his faith silent witnesses to an inquiring mind [Music] [Music] then as men learned to cross the oceans the two civilizations were to meet to meet and to mingle one of these historic meeting points was Mexico [Music] today I should like to speak to you about those great Indian civilizations and Cortez and his men found when they reached ucatan on that memorable day of 1519 the Maya at the University of Arizona students of Mexican history are prepared in two weeks of intensive study for a month's tour of the significant historic areas of Mexico course the great aiz as this Conquest spread let us join them in their quest for knowledge that we may better understand our neighbor as she is today after four centuries of turmoil and strife Mexico today has an individuality of her own but the roots are not only widespread they are also very deep in the early 16th century when the Spaniards arrived in Mexico they found a dense Indian population made up of numerous tribes many of them like the Aztecs had their own tribal dances and ceremonies [Music] [Music] others like the toltech built great cities massive temples palaces and pyramids to this day the Pyramid of the sun Towers high above the Temple of kokat a monument to the ancient culture of the toltech rich Diversified and complex as any in the Eastern hemisphere to the South where the tribes of the zapot and the Mist [Music] they left behind them delicately rot temples and Lace work in [Music] stone architecture flourished in the pillared Palace of mitla at Monte Alban imposing pyramids rival their counterparts in Egypt in impressiveness and [Music] age these and the work of the zapot goldsmiths attest to the achievements of a great civilization Rising through the forest of the Yucatan Peninsula are the Striking architectural monuments of the [Music] Maya Stone carving fretwork like in its delicacy adorns the temples of usal displaying a technical Mastery and genuine aesthetic [Music] discernment at Kaba in the Hill Country of Yucatan is the palace of The Masks one of the most handsome examples of PUK [Music] architecture some 70 M Northeast we find in the ruins of chenit the mecca of the Mayan empire here are the pyramid temples with feathered serpent Motif the Temple of Kul Khan [Music] at the city's Edge there is a well called The Well of sacrifice for into it were thrown offerings to the water Gods gold Jade pottery and sometimes young maidens a somber reminder of a cruel past [Music] then in 1519 came the momentous Clash erando Cortez at the head of some 500 Spanish soldiers landed at Yucatan [Music] within the lifetime of one generation these Spaniards and others that came after them conquered most of Mexico and a Viceroy Ruled the Land for the Spanish crown for 300 years a Spanish feudal society with all its inherent injustices grew unhampered until the climate was rip for insurgence it came in the person of Father hialgo Parish priest of the village of Delores one September morning in 1810 father ialo rang his church bells as if for mass and led the Indians to Rebellion 50,000 of his followers swarmed over the hills to capture the graner of Alonda massacring any Spaniard had stood in their way but 4 months later Spanish forces defeated the rebel Army and father hialgo became the first of the many Martyrs of the Revolution yet the spirit of Revolt lived on for eventually the plan of igala was published promising Mexicans freedom and equality and the Roman Catholic religion it was an uneasy Trinity and ATT tension between church and state climaxed in the middle of the 19th century with the emergence of narez a full-blooded zapot and a true Democrat not withstanding the liberal reforms of harez Prince maximilan of hapsburg backed by Mexican monarchists and the Royal houses of Europe was enthroned in chapek Castle his throne was upheld by French bayonets and when these were withdrawn it fell Maximillion made a last desperate stand at KERO but his army was routed and he together with two of his generals was executed nearby on the hill of bells it took 70 more years of troubles and intrigues and tens of thousands of lives before Mexico regained its ancient equinity the great monument at Merida is crowded with figures of those who gave their lives for the great mingling the blending of cultures and heritages that made Mexico what she is today thus no study of her history can be complete without a direct encounter with the land and its people for today Mexico is a modern country still proudly conscious of her rebellious past so as we join this group of students on their tour of present day Mexico let us see what what we can look [Music] this is Mexico City look at it maybe we can sense the depth of the cultural Roots even in this modern [Music] setting another h [Applause] maybe as we look upon the Towering symbols of the 20th century we shall understand a little more of the foundations upon which they [Music] stand the Magnificent University of Mexico [Music] City the floating gardens of Shoshi [Music] Milo the bull fight fascinating as it is is but a superficial attraction for [Music] [Applause] tourists for [Music] [Music] we shall have to move farther a field to see the real Mexico we shall have to get down to earth to adjust our Pace to the surroundings to wend our way to where we may see her at her best [Music] we shall need to feel underfoot the solidity of her soil and Stones then combining instruction with careful study and our own experiences we may begin to see Mexico and her history in true perspective and what were until now mere names and dates and points on the map will suddenly come to life the Mexicans Spanish Heritage and his struggle with his soil stand out in bold relief as we cross the Mexican Countryside the colonial past is evident in the town of tusco The Agrarian past is linked with a farmer's Hut in Yucatan with an acrod duct at keto built some 200 years ago awesome mountains too high and too rugged for the plow meager allotments of good bottom land strangely in contrast with the spacious fertile lands belonging to the aenda of some rich Spaniard all these give ready reasons for the wars of the reform and for the [Music] revolution the aristocratic landlord secure in the whitewashed walls of his aenda waxed rich and fat while the Mexican farmer already Limited in his means of livelihood was squeezed into the even smaller and narrower patches of arable [Music] land widespread erosion caused by overg grazing and the ancient practice of converting trees into charcoal impoverished the land until it was denuded of natural vegetation and left its people hungry for [Music] bread today although agriculture still plays a major part in the country's economy some farm products are providing the basis for Allied Industries such as the manufacturer of hemp [Music] skilled Artisans like these Stone Cutters provide the materials for Mexico's magnificent [Music] architecture Ste Ste Mills run at capacity to furnish the Senus of a rapidly expanding economy in the military as in Industry Mexico strives to keep in step with a modern [Music] world these are the Hallmark of adult nationhood yet behind all this ancient habits are slow to change still the women do their washing in the village [Music] pond on Lake pataro fish are still being caught as they have been for ages [Music] and the old established method of working the mag fiber is being taught to children at an early age however formal schooling is mandatory for all the youngsters [Music] Mexico's children sing and laugh and play as children do everywhere [Music] Mexico's young girls are lovely as they are almost everywhere but Pottery such as this you'll find only in Waka an ancient Center of The Craft [Music] and the lacquer work of uran is matched by the Chinese alone this display of copperware reminds us of the heritage of the early zapot goldsmiths in in fact Mexico today abounds in arts and crafts leather work for use and [Music] ornament glass blowing one of the most highly developed and most ancient of crafts [Music] it demands great physical strength skill and accuracy weaving and spinning are still being done with Tim honored tools it seems almost as if there were no language necessary among the Mexicans so marvelously do they contrive to convey the wealth of their culture solely through the skill of their hands [Music] come let us mingle with the crowd today is Market day and there is no better place to get to know the Mexican people from far away they come by any means of travel provided it gets them there the Wares are sunry and manifold fruit of the lands or work of their [Music] hands they are close to Earth still here in Mexico close to the soil not for them the package soups of the supermarkets nor the standardized sizes of department stores [Music] though Modern Sanitation is making itself felt in this large covered Market the link with the farmer is still strong unknowingly it represents a link with the past one link that is for there is another one much stronger than this religion [Music] Mexicans are a religious people the Christian priests who came with the Spanish conquerors destroyed many of the physical monuments of the numerous native religions and built churches and cathedrals in their stad but in this dramatic Encounter of Roman Catholicism with Pagan rights neither of the two completely lost its identity each made concessions to the [Music] other symbolic of this grafting of one faith upon the other is the great cathedral in Mexico City one of the largest in the world it was built on the site of an Aztec Temple and took more than 200 years to [Music] complete religious proc sessions and pilgrimages are daily occurrences in Mexico here is one near the most famous and most significant of religious shrines that of the Virgin of Guadalupe the patron saint of Mexico Pilgrims from all over the country visit this holy place and many approach the shrine on their knees as symbol of reverence and humility [Music] Lair henita the little virgin resides in the Basilica of [Music] zapopan each year for almost 4 months she visits other churches in pahara and then thousands participants at in the fiesta of zapopan as the little virgin returns to her Basilica in a splendid procession [Music] this is followed needless to say by a rius fiesta for fiestas are Mexico they are an intoxicating mixture of well-planned spectacle traditional coting and spontaneous mert [Music] the music and the dancing are typically Spanish but then they are typically Indian too in short they are Mexican [Music] these then are the elements first a sunbaked rocky land then a proud and flinty ancestry and finally a militant magnificent Rel time four long and turbulent centuries has needed these into a hole a form new and unique now at last it seems Mexico has found stability and respit from internal strife but back to the fiesta for The Best Is Yet To Come [Music] spee [Music] the [Music] [Music] little Mexican what are you looking at little Mexican what do you see say I see a future bright with promise little Mexican and a Priceless Heritage to keep oh [Music]