Tales From Aztlantis

Christopher Columbus & The Indians of God! It has often been claimed that Christopher Columbus did not refer to the Indigenous people of the Americas as "Indians" because he thought he landed in India, but because he thought that they were "gente in Dios." or "people in God." But is this actually true? and what is the source of this controversial claim? Your hosts...

American Homeboy with Brandon Loran Maxwell We are joined by filmmaker Brandon Loran Maxwell (the Daily Chela), to talk about his new documentary film "American Homeboy." American Homeboy is a  documentary film directed by Brandon Loran Maxwell that explores the  complex origins of pachuco and cholo culture which sprouted from  American soil more than 100 years ago in response to wartime...

Remembering Dr. Cintli with Juan Tejeda! We are joined by Juan Tejeda of Aztlan Libre Press to discuss the legacy  and impact of Roberto "Dr. Cintli" Rodriguez, who recently passed away  in Mexico. In tribute, we have a group reading of Roberto's  groundbreaking essay "Who declared war on the word Chicano?" Our Guest: Juan  Tejeda retired in 2016 as a professor of Mexican...

The Acambaro Figurines w/ Dr. David Anderson! In July 1944, in the Mexican city of Acambaro, Guanajuato, a German businessman named Waldemar Julsrud came across a series of bizarre ceramic figurines said to resemble dinosaurs. These figurines have been promoted by young-Earth creationists as evidence for the coexistence of dinosaurs and humans! But what are these figurines, really? Today we are jo...

The Book of the Sun In this episode, Tlakatekatl reads the short book entitled, The Book of the Sun (1992), by Cecilio Orozco, which was influential among Mexikas, danzantes, and the Mexikayotl movement. Kurly offers his personal perspective and provides context on the book's wider cultural impact. Enjoy! Your host:  Ruben Arellano Tlakatekatl is a scholar, activist, and professor of history....

The Strange story of Dr. Atl! In this episode, we explore the bizarre, fascinating, and contradictory life of one of Mexico's most influential painters: Dr. Atl.  listener comments? Feedback? Shoot us a text! Lignum is a haven for culture, rest, and resistance. We believe in celebrating community and honoring the land that holds us. At our urban “milpa,” we practice indigenous science that re...

The Black Olmec Myth Racism and pseudohistory / pseudoarchaeology go hand-in-hand. One of the more prominent examples of this is the long-discredited notion that the Olmec civilization was either seeded by Black explorers from Africa, or that the Olmec themselves were a Black civilization. In this episode we take a look at the origins of these claims, and analyze the "evidence" used to a...

The Last of The Aztecs! Online racial conspiracists often share historical photos of a man and woman dubbed "The Last of the Aztecs." But who are the individuals in the photo? What is their actual story? And what do they have to do with a showman and circus tycoon from Connecticut? Lets find out as we delve into the tragic story of...The Last of The Aztecs! Your hosts: Kurly Tlapoyawa is...

Talking Pseudoarchaeology with Dr. David S. Anderson In this premium Episode, we journey with Kurly to the SAA (Society for American Archaeology) national Conference in Portland Oregon, where he sits down with Dr. David S Anderson to talk about the forum on pseudoarchaeology that they both participated in! Your guest: Dr. David Anderson is an Instructor with Radford University, and holds his degre...

Cinco De Mayo: Why We Celebrate It's that time of year again! In what has become an annual Cinco de Mayo tradition, we are revisiting one of our earlier episodes from the first season. Every year we see the return of hateful, anti-Mexican comments made in response to Cinco de Mayo, so we thought that it would be a topic worth coming back to. Enjoy! On a dark, rainy Monday afternoon on May 5th...

Indigenous people of the Americas and the Horse  Every once in a while, we see a story posted on social media claiming that horses never went extinct in the Americas and that Indigenous people had the horse long before the arrival of Europeans. If you spend any time on Indigenous social media, you probably know what we are talking about. Supporters of this claim seek to dispel what they view as a...

The Indigenous Pop Culture Expo! Recently, Kurly was invited to be a guest at the Indigenous Pop Culture Expo in Oklahoma City. In this premium episode, he sits down with founder Dr. Lee Francis, and artists Maria "Wolf" Lopez and Jim Terry to talk about the significance of this event! Our guests: Dr. Lee Francis: Albuquerque-based activist, educator, and comic creator Dr. Lee Francis IV...

This Fool with Chris Estrada! We are joined by comedian Chris Estrada! Estrada, one of the most exciting up-and-coming voices in comedy, is the co-creator, star, writer and executive producer of the hit Hulu series "This Fool" which is based on his standup comedy act and upbringing in South Los Angeles. Your Hosts: Kurly Tlapoyawa is an archaeologist, ethnohistorian, and filmmaker. His r...

The Assassination of Kwawtemok! On February 28, of the year 1525, Kwawtemok – the last sovereign tlatoani (ruler or speaker) of the Mexikah nation and the Anawak Confederacy, was assassinated by Hernán Cortés.  But who was Kwawtemok, and why is he an important figure in the collective memory of Mexicans? Your Hosts: Kurly Tlapoyawa is an archaeologist, ethnohistorian, and filmmaker. His research c...

Atlantis & Graham Hancock Netflix has recently decided to provide an outlet for pseudohistory, pseudoarchaeology, and outright bullshit with their new series "ancient apocalypse." In this Premium Throwback, we revisit our very first Premium Episode, in which we cast a critical lens on the many outlandish claims made by Graham Hancock. Enjoy! Your Hosts: Kurly Tlapoyawa is an archaeol...

Dia de los Muertos: The Chicano Connection! Chicanos directly influenced the popularity of modern Dia de los Muertos celebrations in both the United States and Mexico. Let's find out how! Your hosts:   Kurly Tlapoyawa is an archaeologist, ethnohistorian, cultural consultant, and filmmaker. His research covers Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the historical connections between the two...

The Fight for Chicano Studies with Dr. Ernesto Mireles! Kurly is joined by Dr. Ernesto Mireles to discuss his latest Documentary Film "War of the Flea: The Fight for Xicano Studies." War of the Flea: The Fight for Xicano Studies is a real-life David v. Goliath story of Xicano students at Michigan State. Through their involvement with Movimiento Estudiantil Xicano de Aztlan (MEXA), agitat...

Nury Martinez and the Racism of Latinidad Kurly talks about the recent Nury Martinez controversy, and explains how her comments fall perfectly in-line with the inherent racism of latinidad and the "latino/a/e/x" identity. Your host:   Kurly Tlapoyawa is an archaeologist, ethnohistorian, cultural consultant, and filmmaker. His research covers Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the h...

Remembering the Maya Apocalypse with Dr. John Hoopes! About our guest: Dr. John Hoopes is an anthropologist with broad training in the archaeology of pre-Hispanic indigenous cultures, with a focus on indigenous populations of southern Central America between Mesoamerica and the Central Andes. He has built a solid base of empirical, scientific evidence and robust theories to help define these as a...

Sal Castro & The Chicano Blowouts! In this episode, we watch a short film about Sal Castro and the Chicano Blowouts! The East Los Angeles Walkouts or Chicano Blowouts were a series of 1968 protests by Chicano students against unequal conditions in Los Angeles Unified School District high schools. The first walkout occurred on March 5, 1968. The students who organized and carried out the protes...

Archaeological Frauds & Myths with Ken Feder! We are joined by Dr. Ken Feder, to discuss his work in analyzing and exposing pseudoarchaeology and anti-scientific conspiracies! Dr. Kenneth L. "Kenny" Feder is a professor Emeritus of archaeology at Central Connecticut State University and the author of several books on archaeology and criticism of pseudoarchaeology such as Frauds, Myth...

Chicano Heritage Month! Chicano Heritage Month? You heard us correctly! In this episode, we take a look at House resolution 1291 which was recently introduced by Congressman Lou Correa to commemorate August as Chicano Heritage Month. The resolution states its purpose as "Recognizing the significance of “Chicano Heritage Month” in August as an important time to celebrate the significant contri...

Listener Feedback In this episode, we take a look at some listener feedback and celebrate as the Podcast hits a very cool milestone! Your hosts: Kurly Tlapoyawa is an archaeologist, ethnohistorian, cultural consultant, and filmmaker. His research covers Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the historical connections between the two regions. He is the author of numerous books and has presented...

Chicano humor with Lalo Alcaraz! We are joined by POCHO Magazine creator and Chicano editorial cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz to talk about Chicano humor, cultural representation, and censorship! Lalo Alcaraz is an award-winning visual/media artist and television/film writer. A Los Angeles resident, he has been chronicling the ascendancy of Chicanos in the U.S. for over a quarter-century. The busy Chican...

The Chicano Moratorium (sample)  In the sample from Premium Episode 9, we talk about the historical and cultural significance of the Chicano Moratorium March of August 29, 1970, and later watch a short film by Tom Myrdahl.  listener comments? Feedback? Shoot us a text! Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREE Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a pur...