"Who Makes the Cut? What the Skull Masks and Skulls of the Templo Mayor Tell Us About Aztec War and Sacrifice"

Corey's research focuses on the effects that cultural relationships have on population structure and interaction during the Postclassic period (AD 900-1520) in Mexico. Using dental morphological features as a proxy for genetic information, his research compares the biological distinctions between sacrificial victims by examining geographic distance, migration history, trade, and political interaction. The research investigates these relationships at the group and individual levels. 

Corey will discuss the information provided by the skulls from the Templo Mayor, located in the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan. Using available cranial/dental data among the sacrificial victims, he will evaluate how war and status effect the treatment of human remains in the Late Postclassic period (AD 1300-1520) at Tenochtitlan.

For more information about Field Research Grants, visit the LAII website. 
To see the event flyer, click here.

Join SOLAS at the Latin American & Iberian Institute for a special presentation by Bill Bradley on his experience observing Zapatista autonomy in Chiapas, Mexico.

Bill, an union organizer in Albuquerque, recently attended la Escuelita Zapatista, a weeklong program where he lived and learned from a Zapatista family. Over 5,000 students from Mexico, Italy, Argentina, USA and other countries attended the three schools, which allowed the world to observe and learn about Zapatismo. Bill will speak about his experiences as well as show photos and Zapatista textbooks on their laboratory of democracy.

For event flyer click here.

 "Abolition and its Malcontents: 
The Sale of a Freed Slave in Piura, Peru.” 

Daniel Cozart is a graduate student studying Latin America in the History department at UNM. His research focuses on the social and political history of Afro-descendants in northern Peru and Lima from the abolition of slavery in 1854 through the mid-twentieth century. Inspired by recent activism promoting Afro-Peruvian rights and a renewed emphasis to distinguish their role in the nation's history, Daniel traveled to the northern city of Piura to research the experiences of the region's aristocracy and their African slaves during the process of abolition.

Drawing from the notarial records of the Regional Archive of Piura, this presentation will highlight one civil-turned-criminal court case, where in 1855 a Piuran aristocrat was taken to court for “knowingly” selling a former slave under the pretext that she was the legal owner. The former owner denied any knowledge of her slave’s freedom and was pressed for documentation of ownership. Neither the prosecuting attorney nor the defense mentioned President Ramón Castilla’s decree, which effectively abolished the institution of slavery in Peru. These absences as well as the content of the legal battle reveal a great deal about a local reality and practice in contrast to nationally sanctioned legal and economic policy.

The court case that ensued offers a window into understanding the social conditions in northern Peru’s transition from slavery to a wage-labor economy. It additionally suggests that the social attitudes toward Afro-descended Peruvians and even a slave's status itself did not coincidentally change with Castilla’s decree. The fact that Mariana Raygada was unaware of her freedom only begins to explain the continued constitutional legality of slavery and the Peruvian government’s ability to enforce the change. Additionally, it will examine the extent to which the case can be considered representative of the social realities of post-abolition Peru. By analyzing the language of the court documents, the presentation considers the multiple possibilities of the actors’ motivations in the broader context, and concludes with a discussion of the theoretical challenges of historical silence.

To see the flyer click here.

"Urban Acequias and the Desert Oasis: An exploration of Integrated             Water Infrastructure in Mendoza, Argentina" 

Andrew Bernard is a M.A. student in Landscape Architecture (2014) at the University of New Mexico. His studies have focused on the integration of infrastructure, nature, culture and water as a means to resilient design in arid regions. He finds that Albuquerque’s existing municipal water infrastructure is outdated and needs to shift from a single-purposed perspective system to one that integrates these elements and connects cities instead of dividing them. As a FRG recipient, Andrew was granted the opportunity to explore a successful example of integrated infrastructure in the arid region of Mendoza, Argentina for the month of July, 2013.                       

Mendoza is a city located at the foothills of the Andes mountains and while well known for its exquisite Malbec wine, it is best known as a desert oasis. This identity is supported by an intricate network of acequias or irrigation channels that run along each street providing irrigation for the vibrant street tree canopy that provides a refuge from the sun. In addition to providing irrigation, the acequias integrate storm water capture and function as linear public spaces that connect the city, fostering social and cultural exchange. Andrew's presentation, "Urban Acequias and the Desert Oasis: An Exploration of Integrated Water Infrastructure in Mendoza, Argentina" examines the function, significance, and benefits of the acequia system in Mendoza and illuminates the lessons that can be applied toward an alternative water infrastructure paradigm in Albuquerque, New Mexico.                      

Joseph Sorrentino tells stories. Expressed through photographs and news articles, these stories are about the lives that we do not see or hear about often: those who harvest the food we eat. Sorrentino’s visual and verbal narratives speak of the experiences of migrant workers in chile farms in southern New Mexico. The median income of a chile picker is less than $6,700 a year and most live in substandard housing and reside in emergency shelters. As migrant laborers, their employment fluctuates with the daily demand for labor. Living a precarious existence, they wake up at dawn to wait on the streets of border towns hoping a contractor will select them. If they are not chosen to work or the contractor doesn’t arrive, they oftentimes return to the shelter to wait for the next day.

These are the stories of chile farmers who are exposed to the uncertain economic conditions of our current labor system. Yet Sorrentino’s photographs don’t dramatize their situations or convey misery or injustice felt on behalf of the workers; rather they focus on portraying the blunt realism that relates to these working conditions: survival and 
hope.

The FLAS fellowship is a program supported by the U.S. Department of Education that awards funding to both undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in studying less- commonly taught languages. This panel, comprised of three summer FLAS fellowship recipients, will highlight their personal experience through all phases of the FLAS beginning from the application process to the time each fellow spent abroad learning Portuguese  and Kichwa (a Quechuan language).

The discussion will take an in-depth look at the process that each fellow undergoes to prepare their application and choose their language and the location of the study abroad program. For students interested in applying for a FLAS fellowship, this event will shed light on how successful applicants brought to fruition their desire to study less-commonly taught languages.