2. Who are the People of the Sun?
Who are we?
In what ways do a group’s beliefs and
experiences contribute to their identity?
– Traditions
– Food
– Celebrations
– Christmas
– Moving
3. Who are the People of the Sun?
What do you know about them?
Where are they from?
www.partt.org/ mexican_flag.html
4. Geography
Can you imagine an Alberta without
mountains?
Without oil?
What would our culture be like?
5. What did the Aztecs do?
They left their old home and came to a
completely new one
They built in the mountains on very
swampy land
Mexico City (Tenochtitlan) is sinking
now because of the land and human
error
What else is sinking?
8. Mexico City is sinking!
Mid century: 48 cm per a year!
Currently, 2.5 cm per a year on average
Since 1900, it has sunk 9 meters! That’s a 3
storey building
Natural springs under city were exhausted,
the soil collapsed because the aquifer under
the city was drained faster than it was filled
Subway system built in the 1960’s is now
more like a roller coaster track
9. Aqueducts
Needed to bring fresh water into the
city for the Aztecs to survive
Built aqueducts
These were also used in Ancient Rome
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10. Elevation
Edmonton is 668 M above sea level
Tenochtitlan is 2240 M above sea level
– How could this affect their living?
Flash floods
Violent weather
What else?
Built a dam to avoid flash flooding
Terraced their fields, which kept water
from running off and made use of
space
11. Agriculture
Chinampa: “Floating islands”
– In the mountains
– Stakes were put into soil
– Then reed mats were stacked on top and
soil was piled on top of that until it became
a mini farm. Trees were planted in the
corners to anchor it in place
– Then they planted flowers and vegetables
Corn, chili peppers, squash, beans, tomatos
12. Make a table: Break into groups of 3
Aztec Canada
Maps and map
making
War and
empire
Agriculture
Trade
13. What did you come up with?
Aztec Canada
Maps and map - Believed they were
center of world
- North on maps, 2nd
biggest country in
making world
War and - Location allowed
them to defeat
- Canada has
challenges with a long
empire neighbours undefended coastline
- Spanish made - During Cold War,
alliance with Aztec’s between USA and
neighbors Soviet Union
Agriculture - Location allowed
them to produce
- Vast agricultural
lands allowed massive
surplus foods agricultural sector
Trade - Trade both - Connected to Atlantic
necessitated and made and Pacific
possible by limited
range of food and
goods available
14. The Sacred Landscape
Aztec gods
– Believed the gods controlled all aspects of
their lives
– Looked at them for how to live
– Four main gods
– There was over 100 gods
– Polytheistic society
15. Huitzilopochtli
Pronounced “whets-eel-oh-POCH-tlee”
– He encouraged the Aztecs to leave their
homeland and settle in the valley of
Mexico
– The sign he gave them was an eagle
perched on a cactus (flag of Mexico)
– He needs the blood of sacrificial victims to
give him strength
– Battled with Tezcatlipoca
17. Tezcatlipoca
Pronounced “Tez-cah-tlee-POH-kah”
– Considered most powerful of the gods
– Saw visions of the future
– Ruler of the night sky
– Often involved in creation myths
– In a constant struggle with Huitz
– Main temple in Tenochtitlan was for him
19. Quetzalcoatl
Pronounced “ket-zal-COH-ahtl”
– God of wind
– “Feathered serpent”
– Was to come back in the year “One-reed”
and this year would be the destruction of
the Aztec Empire
– God of priests
21. Tlaloc
Pronounced “TLAH-lzok”
– God of rain
– Unleashed the floods or cause droughts
– Gave life and substance, but could
destroy it easily with weather
– Needed to keep him happy so they could
survive
23. Human Sacrifice
Why?
– To the Aztecs, killing another person as a
sacrifice was an honor
– The victim’s blood nourished the gods and
appeased them, without it, they would get angry
or die: World would end!
– From 1446-1453: numerous natural disasters
affected the people (droughts, early frosts,
floods, etc)
Aztecs were starving, emigrated from Mexico, sold their
children, anything to get food
Tlacaelel (ruler at time) announced that human sacrifice
would save them. In 1453, abundant rain followed.
24. Tenochtitlan: Centre of the World
Like many ancient philosophers: the
earth was believed to be a round flat
disc
– In the very middle, sat Tenochtitlan,
courtesy of the Aztec gods
– In four sections: connected to mainland by
three large causeways
– Acqueducts and canals ran through it
– Did not require animals for transport
– Sat in the mountains, because they
believed it was closer to the gods
25. Tenochtitlan: Center of the World
In the center of the city was the Great
Temple
– Dedicated to Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli
– Wealth came into city because of wars
and tributes from neighbouring cities
26. Expanding the Empire
The Aztecs had an attitude
– Attitude to other cultures that is
– Believed they were centre of the world, so
they came into conflicts
– Very disciplined, independent, and
resourceful
– Used conquering through war and trade to
expand their empire
27. Expanding through trade
Why would the Aztecs need to trade?
– Haven’t we seen their superior farming methods?
– Think about what you eat on a daily basis and
what you like to eat as a luxury
Tenochtitlan was high in the mountains,
2000 metres above sea level
– Even with their skills, they could not produce
avocados, papayas, and cacao to name a few.
These grew by the coast, something they didn’t
have
– Nor did they have their colorful birds, gold or
silver
28. Expanding through trade
Needed to trade!
– Took hundreds of slaves with them on
trading expeditions to carry everything
back
– Could be gone for months!
– Also acted as spies, drawing maps of
cities that could be conquered
– Helped to expand
Page 166: FastForward
30. Expanding through war
Huitzilopochtil ancient prophecy:
– “We shall conquer all the people in the
universe. I will make you lords and kings
of every place in the world.”
– By the time the Spanish came, the Aztecs
had an empire larger than any other in
North America
– Their society was more important than the
individual in it.
– FOR THE GREATER GOOD!
31. Expanding through war
Warrior society
– Prepared from birth to be warriors (boys)
– Compulsory service in military
– Lack of courage threatened the state, it
was unacceptable
What is conscription?
– Military Act 1917 in Canada
– 1944: Conscription if necessary, but not
necessarily conscription (Mackenzie King)
32. Expanding through war
Are young Canadians willing to die for
Canada in a war?
How do Canadians respond when
Canadian peacekeepers are killed
while carrying out UN duties?
Would young Canadians consider it an
honour to die as a human sacrifice
meant to appease a violent god?
33. Tribute
Collected tributes from conquered groups
– Gifts, taxes, food, etc.
– Cotton blankets, strings of jade beans, cocoa
beans
Cocoa beans were very important
– Made a drink from it with chili peppers
– Used as currency
– Would grind it to a paste, then mix with water:
called “xocoatl”--> Spanish changed it to
chocolate, which they brought back to Europe