Cora people

The Cora are an indigenous ethnic group in western Mexico that lives in the Sierra de Nayarit and the La Mesa de Nayar in the Mexican states of Jalisco and Nayarit. They call themselves náayarite (plural; náayari singular ), and gave the present state of his name. In the census of year 2000 24.390 persons were counted, the members of Cora speaking household (defined as at least one parent or Older speaks Cora ) were. Of these, 24,390 people speak 67% ( 16,357 ) Cora, 17 % do not speak Cora, the remaining 16 % did not respond.

The Cora grow corn, beans, amaranth and raise cattle.

History

The Cora were expelled by the Spanish Conquistador Nuño de Guzmán from their ancestral lands in the 16th century and are now living in a much smaller area.

Language

The language of Cora belongs to Corachol branch of the Uto- Aztec language family. She has two dialects: El Nayar is spoken in the east, Santa Teresa in the west.

Religion

The religion of Cora is a syncretism that combines religion before the Spanish conquest with Catholicism.

The old religion of the Cora has three main deities:

• Supreme deity is the sun god Tayau ( "Our Father "). He travels across the sky during the day and sits at noon on his golden throne. Clouds are the smoke of his pipe. In earlier times were the priests of the Tayau that Tonati, the highest authority of Cora.
• Tetewan (also: Hurima or Nasisa ) Tayaus woman who is the deity of the underworld and with the Moon, associated to the rain and the West.
• Sautari ( " The Flower Picker ", also: Hatsikan ( "Big Brother " ), Taha or Ora ), son of Tayau and Tetewan is associated with maize and the afternoon. In syncretism he is also associated with Jesus Christ.