Memory and Authorship in Tlaxcala: indigenous historiography in colonial México

Abstract

In the context of the republic of Tlaxcala under Spanish domination in the colonial period, historiography was intended to emphasize local singularities, not only to preserve relevant memories, but also to guarantee the privileges and relative autonomy that the province had in New Spain´s political organization. Revisiting pictographic and pictorial works, anales, chronicles, plays and other writings and representations that make up this tradition, we are forced to discuss, and rethink, the notion of “author” that emerges from these productions. Even when, in some cases, these works may be linked to a proper name, collector, reader, copyist, continuator, collective subject, archivist, compiler, transits between written languages ​​and orality are some of the attributions, practices and characteristics that, in all way, should be considered when discussing authorship. These are attributions that are certainly different from those associated with the figure of the author in modern Western letters. This work intends to present and discuss these differences, which allow to analyse how historiographical discourses were elaborated from indigenous needs and perspectives, and what was the status of scribes, chroniclers and painters in charge of fulfilling this task.