Independence Days By Matthew Clarke
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ometime during the first half of the eighteenth century, a group of Nahua people from Zempoala, a village in what is now the Mexican state of Hidalgo, resisted Spanish claims to the land by presenting a claim of their own. They made their case with a book, which they may have believed to be the most effective way of appealing to the colonial powers. Using amatl, a bark paper dating from precolonial times, the Nahua people created a “land book” documenting their ownership of the area surrounding the village. They left the book’s pages rough in order to signal the ancient nature of their claims. This land book, known as the Codex Zempoala, is on display in the Newberry’s current exhibition, ¡Viva la Libertad! Latin America and the Age of Revolutions. Funded by the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation and on view
The Codex Zempoala—a “land book” made by Nahua people in the eighteenth century—is featured in ¡Viva la Libertad!, a Newberry exhibition open through July 24.
In addition to rare books and manuscripts, the exhibition features engravings, cartoons, newly created artwork, and a video installation. Photo by Anne Ryan The Newberry Magazine
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