Guachichil facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Guachichil
Quauhchichitl — Cuauchichil

Map of Chichimeca Nations Guachichile territory in purple.
Total population
Unknown
Regions with significant populations
Central Mexico (e.g. Zacatecas, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí)
Languages
Guachichil, Spanish
Religion
Roman Catholic
Related ethnic groups
Other Chichimecas

The Guachichil people, also known as Cuauchichil or Quauhchichitl, are an Indigenous group from Mexico. Before Europeans arrived, they lived in the largest area of all the Chichimeca Nations tribes in pre-Columbian Central Mexico.

The Guachichiles traveled through a big part of Zacatecas. They also lived in parts of San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, and northeastern Jalisco. Their territory reached south to northern Michoacán and north to Saltillo in Coahuila.

Today, the Guachichil Nation still exists in the city of San Luis Potosí, Mexico. The city and state recognize them. They have members in both Mexico and the United States.

History of the Guachichil People

The Guachichiles were known as brave warriors. They played a big part in getting other Chichimeca tribes to fight against Spanish settlers. Historian Philip Wayne Powell noted their important location. Their land was near Spanish mines and roads. This made it easy for them to raid and escape.

These warriors fought fiercely, even when badly hurt. They were key to the Spanish defeat during the Chichimeca Wars. Guachichil children learned to use a bow and arrow at a young age. Hunters were so skilled that they were disappointed if they missed an eye. The Chichimeca bow and arrow was made very well. It could even go through Spanish armor.

Spanish records show how good they were with arrows:

• One time, they threw an orange into the air. They shot so many arrows into it that it stayed in the air. It finally fell in tiny pieces.
• An arrow went through a Spanish soldier's horse's head. It went through its armor and into the soldier's chest. Both the soldier and horse died.

The Chichimeca people were nomadic. This meant they moved around a lot. They knew the land very well. It was often filled with cacti. They always looked for places to hide. Their knowledge of local food gave them an advantage. They could move more freely than the Spanish. The Spanish depended on farm animals and supplies. The Guachichiles could cut off these supplies. They could destroy animals. This stopped the Spanish economy and military.

They attacked in small groups. These groups had from five to two hundred warriors. They valued animal furs. They also valued certain items from Europeans.

Guachichil War Tactics

The Guachichil often used clever tricks instead of just brute force. They sent spies into Spanish-Indian towns. These spies learned about enemy plans and strength. They also had a system of lookouts and scouts. Before big attacks, they would first kill or steal horses and other animals. This was to make Spanish soldiers fight on foot.

When they attacked, they used a scary tactic. The Guachichil would dress up like strange animals. They used animal heads and red paint. Then they would yell like wild beasts. This terrified the Spanish animals and scared the soldiers.

A fifty-mile (80-km) mountain range was known as "El Camino Del Infierno." This means "The Path of Hell" to the Spanish. Caravans had to pass through this range. Taking a different route would be too long. The fiercest attacks happened in "The Path of Hell." Ancient Guachichil paintings in the area show these events.

The tribe's leader was also the military chief. The Spanish noticed that they attacked in small groups. They painted their heads and hair red, unlike other Chichimecas.

They fought enemies with obsidian swords, spears, darts, and arrows. They first chose the best place to attack. This was usually a desert, a mountain plain, a rock, or a swamp. Sometimes, they just waited until midnight. At midnight, they would quietly get into position. Then, they would suddenly let out loud, terrifying howls and screams. This confused their enemies. At the same time, they would run directly at their target. They would also shoot many arrows.

The Guachichiles' political system was simple when the Spanish arrived. It was patriarchal. The strongest warrior who could defeat the current chief became the new chief. If a warrior failed to overthrow the chief, he would leave the tribe. He would take some families and settle somewhere else. Tribes could also join together. This made them more powerful through marriages between tribes. When the Spanish arrived, there were hundreds of tribes. But four were the most powerful.

Origin of the Guachichil Name

The Guachichiles were known for painting their bodies, hair, and faces red. Because of this, the Mexica people called them "guachichile." This name comes from the Nahuatl words "kua-itl" (head) and "chichil-tic" (red). So, it means "heads painted red."

Colony and Conquest

The area where the city of San Luis Potosí is now was once a Guachichil-Chichimeca outpost.

Starting in 1550, Guachichil, Guamares, and other Chichimecas began to raid. So, Viceroy Don Luis II de Velasco ordered Herrera to stop the raids. This started the longest and bloodiest Spanish campaign in America.

Pedro de Anda founded the Real del Cerro de San Pedro and Minas del Potosí on March 4, 1592. There was not enough water there. So, they needed a nearby place with water to support people. This place was east of the Anahuac table.

For the Spanish to settle widely, the local Guachichiles were moved. The Tlaxcalans, supported by the Spanish, also moved them. The Tlaxcalans' dislike for the Guachichiles soon became clear.

The community of San Luis Potosí began with different groups coming together. These included Guachichiles, Tlaxcaltecas, Tarascos, Zacatecos Chichimecas, Chichimecas-Pames from Santa María del Río, Otomí, and Spaniards.

The city of San Luis Potosí grew quickly because of mining wealth. It was founded in November 1592. This happened when the fierce Guachichil leader Moquamalto surrendered. He surrendered to Fray Diego de la Magdalena and Captain Miguel Caldera. This took place in what is now the Plaza de los Fundadores. Many people came for the gold. This created a unique culture. The presence of Guachichiles, Spaniards, Otomi, Tarascos, Mulattoes, Blacks, and Tlaxcalans mixed. This created a unique blend of cultures in Mexico.

Guachichil Tribes and Territories

The Guachichiles lived across the entire Potosino Altiplano. They also lived in parts of Guanajuato, Jalisco, Zacatecas, and Tamaulipas. This area stretched from the Lerma or Grande river in Michoacán and Guanajuato. It went up to the Comanja mountain ranges. On the border with the Rioverde area, the boundary went north. Gonzalo de las Casas observed that they covered a lot of land. He said they were the most numerous of all the Chichimecas. He also noted they caused the most damage.

The Guachichiles were not one solid kingdom in the 16th century. Instead, they were many tribes and chiefdoms. The Spanish saw three main groups:

• The Mazapil group to the north. They lived in the mountains near Parras.
• The Las Salinas group in the center of San Luis Potosí.
• The Tunal Grande group. This was where the Xales were common. It was the largest food supply area for the Guachichiles.

These three groups were not political or cultural units. They were just the people living in these three areas. Besides these three main groups, there were many other tribal groups. Many were only mentioned once by the Spanish.

Guachichil Language

The Guachichil language is now extinct. Very little is known about it. It might have been an Uto-Aztecan language. It could have been closely related to the Huichol language.

The Guachichil language is not well documented. We only know about its structure from names of people and places. This language had three dialects: Bozalo (or vocalo), Negrito, and one simply called Guachichil. It was closely related to the language of the Quinigua tribes. Some experts think it is an Uto-Aztecan language. Others link it to the Coahuiltecan family. This family might include Guachichil, Quinigua, Maratino, and others.

Examples of Guachichil names include: Aiguaname, Analale, Apamatacaliname, Atapi, Ayoaname, Clonemua, Cuaguilo, Guamala, Juquianame, Malioname, Micolaqui, Mohelo, Nochicaguitaname, Omoahxi, Quiguama, Saitoa, Taesani, and Tepuchi.

Examples of place names are: Zapalinamé (a mountain range), Guanamé (a hacienda), Hipóa (a town), Mapimí, and Matehuala (a city).

These names often start with "ma-" and end with "-amé," "-qui," "-ane," "-lo," "-na," or "-al." They also have common diphthongs like "ai" (as in Aiguaname) and "ua" (as in Clonemua).

See also

In Spanish: Guachichil para niños