Colonialism Maps Versus Indigenous Nations

You might be familiar with a historical event known as the Race for Africa where many European nations scrambled for a claim to a piece of the large continent. This entitled race was for the claim of natural resources and the lines drawn in that instance were not reflective of the already set tribal territories. Similarly predating this event occurred in Central America more specifically Mexico.

Indigenous groups like the Aztecs and the Mayans in Mexico were there for centuries before Spanish Conquistadors washed up on the shore. During their undisturbed reign they had time for the development of not only in their distinct culture but in their territorial divisions as well. (See Map Below) 

This map displays what the territories of the native groups of Mexico might have looked like before their conquest by Spanish forces. Each color represents the many cultures and ways of life that all existed before colonization.

Important to note and again similar to the case made later in Africa is the difference between cultures. Each color can be inferred to have their own system of government, common religion, common language, which can all change when you go from place to place. Instead of grouping them all in one word like Native, Indians, Indigenous, or in worse cases calling them savages or less than human negates any value to their cultural development that they might have had.

Although much more modern than the map showing the original native territories there are still rough outlines from those before. Much of central Mexico follows similar outlines to that of the tributary provinces. Could this be made by the Spanish agreeing with the previously made territories done by the Aztecs? As hopeful of an idea this might be, it is highly unlikely. 

With a closer look, many of the present Mexican states follow natural formations like that of running borders between or along rivers. It was more common practice for early civilizations to pop up along rivers as the continuous flow of fresh available water made having a blooming community attainable. 

History does not lend itself to the hopeful. Believing that there might have been some sort of relations between Indigenous and Spanish is unlikely. The destruction of many native civilizations and lack of formal map keeping in the age of exploration also makes it difficult to try and construct an idea of what might have been. Although there are shadows of what might have been, it has been lost to the passage of time.