listener comments? Feedback? Shoot us a text!Our sponsors: Arkeogato ToursShop AztlantisGO PREMIUM!Well, dear listeners, it happened. Like a super-shitty reboot of a failed TV show that nobody asked for, Donaldo Octavius Frump is back for season two. And like all shitty reboots, this one looks like it’s just going to be more of the same: a rancid clown car of tired, racist, bullshit. Only this time he’s brought along a friend, A similarly focused little troll who many think is pulling the strings. I’m referring to, of course, the world’s richest and dumbest human being, Elon Musk. And the combined power of these pathetic clowns has already had disastrous effects. One of Ronald’s primary campaign promises was the institution of a mass deportation program inspired by the infamous “Operation Wetback” of the 1950s. You know, that bygone era when America was “great.” This comes as no surprise really, as Trompito has publicly praised these Eisenhower-era immigration raids since he first ran for president way back in 2016. And leading up to the recent election, he only escalated his verbal attacks on immigrants, proclaiming to his sycophants and cultists that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.”In fact, at the Republican National Convention this past July, he declared that "The Republican platform promises to launch the largest deportation operation in the history of our country," as his crowd of dipshit supporters held up signs bearing the phrase "mass deportation now!"He even directly referenced Operation Wetback way back in 2015 (he didn’t identify it by its name at the time, but I’m sure we can look forward to the normalization of the word “Wetback” in the coming months.) Ronald stated, "You look back in the 1950s, you look back at the Eisenhower administration, take a look at what they did, and it worked.” But did it work? Historians say the program tore families apart, violated civil rights — and at times, turned deadly. And yeah, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that former President Barack Obama earned the title of “deporter-in-chief” for overseeing the deportation of 3 million plus individuals, 2/3 of which had no criminal record. But he ain’t gonna be President again, and we need to prepare ourselves for the shitshow on the immediate horizon.So with that, dear listeners, we here at the Tales From Aztlantis Podcast thought it would be prudent to take a look at Operation Wetback and its precursor the Bracero Program. Because as they say, everything old is new again.  Support the showFind us: https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromAztlantis Merch: https://chimalli.storenvy.com/ Book: The Four Disagreements: Letting Go of Magical Thinking (Amazon)

listener comments? Feedback? Shoot us a text!In this throwback episode from Season 2, Kurly talks with Ruben Ochoa about the Mexika calendar system that he deciphered through his own math expertise and analysis of the codices. Your host:Kurly Tlapoyawa is an archaeologist, ethnohistorian, 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 lectures at the University of New Mexico, Yale University, San Diego State University, and numerous others. He recently released a documentary film "Guardians of the Purple Kingdom" about Indigenous textile production in Oaxaca.  Support the showFind us: https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromAztlantis Merch: https://chimalli.storenvy.com/ Book: The Four Disagreements: Letting Go of Magical Thinking (Amazon)

listener comments? Feedback? Shoot us a text!For our season 4 finale, we take some time to answer burning questions from our listeners, and make some book recommendations for those interested in learning more about Chicano-Mexicano history, culture, and identity!Your hosts:Kurly Tlapoyawa is an archaeologist, ethnohistorian, 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 lectures at the University of New Mexico, Yale University, San Diego State University, and numerous others. He recently released a documentary film "Guardians of the Purple Kingdom" about Indigenous textile production in Oaxaca.Ruben Arellano Tlakatekatl is a scholar, activist, and professor of history. His research explores Chicana/Chicano indigeneity, Mexican indigenist nationalism, and Coahuiltecan identity resurgence. Other areas of research include Aztlan (US Southwest), Anawak (Mesoamerica), and Native North America. He has presented and published widely on these topics and has taught courses at various institutions. He currently teaches history at Dallas College – Mountain View Campus.  Support the showFind us: https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromAztlantis Merch: https://chimalli.storenvy.com/ Book: The Four Disagreements: Letting Go of Magical Thinking (Amazon)

listener comments? Feedback? Shoot us a text!Buy Merchandise here!Become a Patreon supporter hereThe 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 an archaeologist, ethnohistorian, 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 lectures at the University of New Mexico, Yale University, San Diego State University, and numerous others. He recently released a documentary film "Guardians of the Purple Kingdom" about Indigenous textile production in Oaxaca.Ruben Arellano Tlakatekatl is a scholar, activist, and professor of history. His research explores Chicana/Chicano indigeneity, Mexican indigenist nationalism, and Coahuiltecan identity resurgence. Other areas of research include Aztlan (US Southwest), Anawak (Mesoamerica), and Native North America. He has presented and published widely on these topics and has taught courses at various institutions. He currently teaches history at Dallas College – Mountain View Campus. Cited in the Podcast: Freak Show: Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit  Support the showFind us: https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromAztlantis Merch: https://chimalli.storenvy.com/ Book: The Four Disagreements: Letting Go of Magical Thinking (Amazon)

listener comments? Feedback? Shoot us a text!Well, dear listeners, it’s that time of year again: when the mainstream media and their corporate overlords conspire to wage war on the winter holiday meant to celebrate the birth of our savior and erase our annual traditions. We are referring of course, to the birth of Witzilopochtli as our sun reborn, and the associated feast of Panketzaliztli. But fear not, dear listeners, because here in Aztlantis we proudly say “Merry Panketzaliztli” and honor Witzilopochtli as the true reason for the season!Tlazkamati to Micorazonmexica for the amazing episode artwork! Support their online store here: https://www.etsy.com/mx/shop/MiCorazonMexicaYour Hosts:Kurly Tlapoyawa is an  archaeologist, ethnohistorian, 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 lectures at the University of New  Mexico, Harvard University,  Yale University, San Diego State University, and numerous others. He is also a cultural consultant for Nickelodeon Animation Studios. His recent projects include the  documentary short film "Guardians of the  Purple Kingdom," and "The Casagrandes Movie" on Netflix. @kurlytlapoyawa Ruben Arellano Tlakatekatl is a scholar, activist, and professor of history. His research explores Chicana/Chicano indigeneity, indigenist nationalism, and Coahuiltecan revitalization. Other areas of research include Aztlan (US Southwest), Anawak (Mesoamerica), and Native North America. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, Mexicolore, and several academic journals. He frequently presents at historical conferences and has taught courses at numerous colleges & universities. He currently teaches history at Dallas College – Mountain View Campus.    Support the showFind us: https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromAztlantis Merch: https://chimalli.storenvy.com/ Book: The Four Disagreements: Letting Go of Magical Thinking (Amazon)

listener comments? Feedback? Shoot us a text!Nawatl Language Mistranslations! Lots of well-intentioned folks are sharing information about the Nawatl language online. Unfortunately, this information is sometimes inaccurate or even worse, completely made up! Today we are joined by Nawatl language educators Yan Garcia (author of Learn Nawatl), and Dr. Magnus Hansen (Nawatl Linguist), as we explore Nawatl language mistranslations, mispronunciations, and pseudohistorical misrepresentations!!Your Hosts:Kurly Tlapoyawa is an  archaeologist, ethnohistorian, 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 lectures at the University of New  Mexico, Harvard University,  Yale University, San Diego State University, and numerous others. He is also a cultural consultant for Nickelodeon Animation Studios. His recent projects include the  documentary short film "Guardians of the  Purple Kingdom," and "The Casagrandes Movie" on Netflix. @kurlytlapoyawa Ruben Arellano Tlakatekatl is a scholar, activist, and professor of history. His research explores Chicana/Chicano indigeneity, indigenist nationalism, and Coahuiltecan revitalization. Other areas of research include Aztlan (US Southwest), Anawak (Mesoamerica), and Native North America. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, Mexicolore, and several academic journals. He frequently presents at historical conferences and has taught courses at numerous colleges & universities. He currently teaches history at Dallas College – Mountain View Campus.    Support the showFind us: https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromAztlantis Merch: https://chimalli.storenvy.com/ Book: The Four Disagreements: Letting Go of Magical Thinking (Amazon)

listener comments? Feedback? Shoot us a text!Dr. Andrew White joins us to talk about the consequences of shows like Ancient Apocalypse, and how pseudoarchaeology is often used to accomplish nationalist and frequently racist objectives. So join us as we take a bizarre journey through a world of neo-nazi Graham Hancock fanboys, Atlantis-pushing occultists, and anti-Indigenous propaganda!About our guest:Andrew White is anthropological archaeologist (PhD 2012, University of Michigan) with interests in hunter-gatherers, lithic technology, human evolution, and complex systems theory.  He is particularly interested in combining archaeological methods and theory with ethnographic data and computational modeling to develop new ways to push the boundaries of our understanding of the social, cultural, and evolutionary aspects of the human past. He has spent some time confronting pseudo-archaeological claims about the human past and feels that other professional archaeologists should do the same.https://www.youtube.com/@andrewwhite33Your Host:Kurly Tlapoyawa is an  archaeologist, ethnohistorian, 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 lectures at the University of New  Mexico, Harvard University,  Yale University, San Diego State University, and numerous others. He is also a cultural consultant for Nickelodeon Animation Studios. His recent projects include LiDAR-assisted survey in the Maya hinterlands of southern Belize, the documentary short film "Guardians of the Purple Kingdom," and "The Casagrandes Movie" on Netflix. @kurlytlapoyawa Support the showFind us: https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromAztlantis Merch: https://chimalli.storenvy.com/ Book: The Four Disagreements: Letting Go of Magical Thinking (Amazon)

listener comments? Feedback? Shoot us a text!Forging Aztecness, Danza Azteca history with Kristina Nielsen In this episode we are joined by Dr. Kristina Nielsen to discuss the history of the Danza Azteca and Mexikayotl traditions! About our guest:Kristina Nielsen received her Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2017. Her research focuses on how music and dance in Aztec revitalization movements shape community histories and identities. Nielsen’s research is highly interdisciplinary and draws on ethnographic research methods, anthropology and area studies, particularly Indigenous and Latin American studies. Her current project examines Indigenous agency in the Mexican Folkloric Ballet’s staging of the Indigenous past. She is also in the process of writing a book that explores how Aztec dancers in Los Angeles navigate tradition, histories, and identities through music and dance.You can follow Dr. Nielsen's and other music scholars' work here: @music_textbookYour Hosts:Kurly Tlapoyawa is an  archaeologist, ethnohistorian, 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 lectures at the University of New  Mexico, Harvard University,  Yale University, San Diego State University, and numerous others. He is also a cultural consultant for Nickelodeon Animation Studios. His recent projects include the  documentary short film "Guardians of the  Purple Kingdom," and "The Casagrandes Movie" on Netflix. @kurlytlapoyawa Ruben Arellano Tlakatekatl is a scholar, activist, and professor of history. His research explores Chicana/Chicano indigeneity, indigenist nationalism, and Coahuiltecan revitalization. Other areas of research include Aztlan (US Southwest), Anawak (Mesoamerica), and Native North America. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, Mexicolore, and several academic journals. He frequently presents at historical conferences and has taught courses at numerous colleges & universities. He currently teaches history at Dallas College – Mountain View Campus.   Cited in this episode: Kristina F. Nielsen, “Forging Aztecness: Twentieth-Century Mexican Musical Nationalism in Twenty-First Century Los Angeles,” Yearbook for Traditional Music 52 (2020): 127–46, https://doi.org/10.1017/ytm.2020.18. Kristina F. Nielsen, “Composing Histories: The Transmission and Creation of Historicity, Music and Dance in the Los Angeles Danza Community” (PhD Diss., University of California, Los Angeles, 2017). Kristina F. Nielsen, “The Role of Interpretation in Determining Continuity in Danza Azteca History,” Ethnomusicology Review, May 17, 2014, https://ethnomusicologyreview.ucla.edu/content/role-interpretation-determining-continuity-danza-azteca-history.  Support the showFind us: https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromAztlantis Merch: https://chimalli.storenvy.com/ Book: The Four Disagreements: Letting Go of Magical Thinking (Amazon)

listener comments? Feedback? Shoot us a text!Your hosts:  Ruben Arellano Tlakatekatl is a scholar, activist, and professor of history. His research explores Chicana/Chicano indigeneity, Mexican indigenist nationalism, and Coahuiltecan identity resurgence. Other areas of research include Aztlan (US Southwest), Anawak (Mesoamerica), and Native North America. He has presented and published widely on these topics and has taught courses at various institutions. He currently teaches history at Dallas College – Mountain View Campus. Support the showFind us: https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromAztlantis Merch: https://chimalli.storenvy.com/ Book: The Four Disagreements: Letting Go of Magical Thinking (Amazon)

listener comments? Feedback? Shoot us a text!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 significant unit of study. Dr. Hoopes has undertaken extended critiques of both scientific and popular models, the latter including significant prejudices and misconceptions about indigenous cultures. His research is motivated by a strong sense of ethics, justice, and a desire to help people understand the world in detail by expanding knowledge as guided by informed insight. 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 lectures at Harvard University, The University of New Mexico, Yale University, San Diego State University, and numerous others.  @kurlytlapoyawa  Ruben Arellano Tlakatekatl is a scholar, activist, and professor of history. His research explores Chicana/Chicano indigeneity, Mexican indigenist nationalism, and Coahuiltecan identity resurgence. Other areas of research include Aztlan (US Southwest), Anawak (Mesoamerica), and Native North America. He has presented and published widely on these topics and has taught courses at various institutions. He currently teaches history at Dallas College – Mountain View Campus.  Support the showFind us: https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromAztlantis Merch: https://chimalli.storenvy.com/ Book: The Four Disagreements: Letting Go of Magical Thinking (Amazon)