TEZCATLALLI: The Towers of Chapultepec and the Prayers of Tepeyac

September 11, 1847

US Army Invading Forces under the the Command of General Winfield Scott, set seige to the Mexican Military Academy at Chapultepec, Mexico:  In the final phase of the assault, six young cadets refused to fall back and fought to the death, and in popular legend it is said that the last of these, Juan Escutia of Tepic, Nayarit wrapped himself up in the Mexican flag and jumped from the Chapultepec tower roof to keep it from falling into enemy hands. 

Chapultepec: Nahuatl term signifying "Hill of the the Grasshopper."

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TEZCATLALLI

Espejo de la Tierra                   Earth Mirror


The day will come
when
the shards of rubble,
will be swept away;
the remains
of loved ones will be carefully laid to rest in places
at that moment where
worlds that were
will also be
no more, and
new world’s
Discovery brought us all a shudder of horror
to have lost they who through knowing them,
being
with them and of them,
made us
human.

The day that comes,
comes for us all.
The coldest winds before that dawn,
the shards of humans being inhuman
to each other and themselves, look for the broken places in our
mind
and heart,
look to wounds searching for caves of fear, far beyond the chasing
conscience of the One:

At that moment shall appear,
When the ground is finally clear,
A shining dust
A mirror of earth, and she will speak again.
“What have you done to my children?”
And foundations of Heaven’s Earth, respond -
In justice of war gods unbound.

Tupac Enrique Acosta

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US Army Invades Mexico

The War Council of September 11, 1847 at Chapultepec

Having taken Molino del Rey, American forces had effectively cleared many of the Mexican defenses on the western side of the city with the exception of Chapultepec Castle. Situated atop a 200-foot hill, the castle was a strong position and served as the Mexican Military Academy. It was garrisoned by fewer than 1,000 men, including the corps of cadets, led by General Nicolás Bravo. While a formidable position, the castle could be approached via a long slope from Molino del Rey. Debating his course of action, Scott called a council of war to discuss the army's next steps.

Meeting with his officers, Scott favored assaulting the castle and moving against the city from the west. This was initially resisted as the majority of those present, including Major Robert E. Lee, desired to attack from the south. In the course of the debate, Captain Pierre G.T. Beauregard offered an eloquent argument in favor of the western approach which swung many of the officers into Scott's camp. The decision made, Scott began planning for the assault on the castle. For the attack, he intended to strike from two directions with one column approaching from the west while the other struck from the southeast.

The Assault on Chapultepec:

At dawn on September 12, American artillery began firing on the castle. Firing through the day, it halted at nightfall only to resume the next morning. At 8:00 AM, Scott ordered the firing to stop and directed the attack to move forward.

Chapultepec Castle was defended by Mexican troops under the command of Nicolás Bravo, including cadets from the military academy.  The number of cadets present has been variously given, from 47[3] to a few hundred.  The greatly outnumbered defenders battled General Scott's troops for about two hours before General Bravo ordered retreat, however the six Niños Héroes refused to fall back and fought to the death.  Legend has it that the last of the six, Juan Escutia, leapt from Chapultepec Castle wrapped in the Mexican flag to prevent the flag from being taken by the enemy. According to the later account of an unidentified US officer, "about a hundred" cadets between the ages of 10 and 16 were among the "crowds" of prisoners taken after the Castle's capture.[4]

The six cadets are honored by an imposing monument made of Carrara marble by architect Enrique Aragón and sculptor Ernesto Tamaríz at the entrance to Chapultepec Park (1952);[2] and the name Niños Héroes, along with the cadets' individual names, are commonly given to streets, squares and schools across the country. For many years they appeared on the MXP 5000 banknote. The Mexico City Metro station Metro Niños Héroes is also named after them.

Los Niños Heroes de Chapultepec 1847

• Juan de la Barrera  (age 19)
• Juan Escutia  (age 15–19) (?)
• Francisco Márquez  (age 13)
• Agustín Melgar  (age 15–19) (?)
• Fernando Montes de Oca  (age 15–19) (?)
• Vicente Suárez  (age 14)

Juan de la Barrera was born in Mexico City in 1828, the son of Ignacio Mario de la Barrera, an army general, and Juana Inzárruaga. He enlisted at the age of 12 and was admitted to the Academy on 18 November 1843. During the attack on Chapultepec he was a lieutenant in the military engineers (sappers) and died defending a gun battery at the entrance to the park. Aged 19, he was the oldest of the six, and was also part of the school faculty as a volunteer teacher in engineering.

Juan Escutia was born in Tepic (today's capital of the state of Nayarit) at some time between 1828 and 1832. Records show he was admitted to the Academy as a cadet on 8 September 1847, but his other papers were lost during the assault. He is believed to have been a second lieutenant in an artillery company. This cadet officer wrapped himself up in the flag and jumped from the roof to keep it from falling into enemy hands. His body was found on the east flank of the hill, alongside that of Francisco Márquez. A large mural above the stairway painted by Gabriel Flores depicts his jump from the roof with the Mexican flag. This account has been regarded as a legend by several modern Mexican historians.[1]

Francisco Márquez was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, in 1834. Following the death of his father, his mother, Micaela Paniagua, remarried Francisco Ortiz, a cavalry captain. He applied to the Academy on 14 January 1847 and, at the time of the battle, belonged to the first company of cadets. A note included in his personnel record says his body was found on the east flank of the hill, alongside that of Juan Escutia. At 13 years old, he was the youngest of the six heroes.

Agustín Melgar was a native of Chihuahua, Chihuahua, born there at some time between 1828 and 1832. He was the son of Esteban Melgar, a lieutenant colonel in the army, and María de la Luz Sevilla, both of whom died while he was still young, leaving him the ward of his older sister. He applied to the Academy on 4 November 1846. A note in his personnel record explains that after finding himself alone, he tried to stop the enemy on the north side of the castle.

Fernando Montes de Oca was born in Azcapotzalco, then a town just to the north of Mexico City and nowadays one of the boroughs of the Federal District, between 1828 and 1832. His parents were José María Montes de Oca and Josefa Rodríguez. He had applied to the Academy on 24 January 1847, and was one of the cadets who remained in the castle. His personnel record reads: "Died for his country on 13 September 1847."

Vicente Suárez was born in 1833 in Puebla, Puebla. He was the son of Miguel Suárez, a cavalry officer, and María de la Luz Ortega. He applied for admission to the Academy on 21 October 1845, and during his stay was an officer cadet.

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Rodolfo Acuña,

Occupied America: A History of Chicanos

New York: Harper & Row, 1981

Chapter 6: "Greasers Go Home"

Page 10

Joel Magallán, executive director of Asociación Tepeyac:
"We didn't have time to cry."

Asociacion Tepeyac has helped the families of the more than 100 undocumented workers who were killed on 9/11. 

''The largest group of World Trade Center victims we'll probably never know the fate of are the undocumented workers,'' 

YouTube:
"Why do Mexican Workers Head North?

YouTube:

Why do Mexican Workers Head North?    

YouTube:

Why do Mexican Workers Head North?    

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NAHUACALLI

Embassy of Indigenous Peoples

ORDER of HONOR

To the Sons and Daughters of Anahuac, Abya Yala

To the Indigenous Peoples of the World:

PROCLAMATION

In the name of our ancestors, Grandmothers and Grandfathers of our Indigenous Nations, you are reminded that it is

PROHIBITED

That the innocent women and children of the entire world should suffer attack, threat, the taking  of hostage, nor shall they be injured or killed as result of military action by any military force of the world, in the field of war whether proclaimed or not.  This same moral prohibition extends to the civil population in its entirety.

THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION WHATSOEVER for such acts within the norms of our millennial culture.  By way of this proclamation shall also be informed the generals and captains of all military rank, of any and all national armies of the world, that the giving of such orders in violation of this

ORDER of HONOR

Such orders shall not be considered valid before the principles of this DECLARATION, nor before the Conscience of Humanity.

THUS WE AFFIRM,

that the Sons and Daughters of Anahuac, Abya Yala and the Indigenous Peoples of the World

IN FULFILLMENT

With the traditional mandates of this Order of Honor shall be:

PROTECTED and SUPPORTED

By our communities, the great family of our Indigenous Nations, and community organizations.

Given this 13 of October 2004,

From NAHUACALLI, Embassy of the Indigenous Peoples

Calpolli Nahuacalco, Izkalotlan

Anahuac, Abya Yala

Signed,

Tupac Enrique Acosta, Yaotachcauh Tlahtokan Nahuacalli

Witness: Fernando Suárez del Solar, for El Guerrero Azteca

NAHUACALLI

Embassy of Indigenous Peoples

c/o TONATIERRA

PO BOX 24009 Phoenix, AZ 85074

www.tonatierra.org

Tel: (602) 254-5230

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NAHUACALLI

Embajada de los Pueblos Indígenas

ORDEN  DE  HONOR

A Los Hijos e Hijas de Anahuac, Abya Yala

A Los Pueblos Indígenas del Mundo:

PROCLAMACION

En nombre de los antepasados abuelitas e abuelitos, Raíz del Pueblo, se les recuerde que es

PROHIBIDO

Que sean atacados, amenazados, hostigados, heridos o matados los niños y las mujeres inocentes del mundo entero en cualquier acción militar por cualquier ejército del mundo, en campo de guerra proclamada o no.  La misma prohibición moral es aplicable a la población civil entera.

NO EXISTE JUSTIFICACION ninguna para tales acciones de acuerdo con las normas de nuestra cultura milenaria.  Por vía de esta proclamación se les informa también a los generales y capitanes de todo rango militar, de cualquier ejército nacional del mundo, que el dar la orden en violación de este

ORDEN DE HONOR

Tal orden no tendrá validez frente los principios de esta DECLARACION, ni tampoco ante la Conciencia de la Humanidad.

AFIRMAMOS ya entonces, que Los Hijos e Hijas de Anahuac, Abya Yala, y los Pueblos Indígenas del mundo

CUMPLIENDO

Con los mandatos tradicionales de esta Orden de Honor serán:

PROTEGIDOS Y RESPALDADOS

Por nuestras comunidades, la gran familia de nuestros Pueblos, y nuestras organizaciones comunitarias comprometidas.

Dado este 13 de Octubre de 2004,

Desde el NAHUACALLI, Embajada de Los Pueblos Indígenas

Izkalotlan, Aztlan

Firmas:

Tupac Enrique Acosta, Yaotachcauh Tlahtokan Nahuacalli

Testigo: Fernando Suárez del Solar, por El Guerrero Azteca

NAHUACALLI Embajada de los Pueblos Indígenas c/o TONATIERRA   P.O. Box 24009      Phoenix, AZ  85074    Tel: (602) 254-5230    Email: tonal@tonatierra.org
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TEZCATLALLI
Earth Mirror
1847 - September 11 - 2013

Redlines and Red Nations
GENOCIDE and TERRACIDE
 

It was called the MOTHER of All BOMBS - MOAB Massive Ordnance Air Burst (MOAB), a massive explosive device - the largest ever produced, specifically designed to kill and maim over a wide area. The MOAB was partly responsible for the 3,000-plus civilian deaths in Afghanistan.  Now we have forgotten her, now we are focused on her bastards the Chemical Weapons Arsenal in Syria, without even commenting on the fact that Egypt (1.23 billion dollars in military aid from the US per year) HAS NEITHER ACCEDED nor RATIFIED the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) now being negotiated in the aftermath of the USE of Chemical Weapons in Syria.

NOW we have forgotten her, now we don’t even ask what effect does the Mother of All Bombs and her bastard kin have on the ecosystems of Mother Earth, on what was once called a Fertile Crescent of Civilization, a cradle of Humanity.  We haven’t heard of what is being done to HEAL the watersheds of the Euphrates, the Tigris, or the Nile.  Instead we are fixated on the power politics of the State Players, and the agents of the Wars of Petropolis.  We don’t ask what is the effect of chemical weaponry on our Mother Earth (depleted uranium munitions) and we don’t DEMAND that these CRIMES against Humanity and the Rights of Mother Earth be addressed as International War Crimes of Genocide and TERRACIDE.