Cuauhtemoc

Cuauhtémoc (1495?-1525), last ruler of the Aztec Empire of Mexico, nephew of Emperor Montezuma II. Cuauhtémoc led the opposition to Montezuma's policy of appeasing the Spanish invaders. He organized the attack, known as la noche triste ("sad night"), that drove the Spanish commander Hernán Cortés from the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán on June 30, 1520. After the death of Montezuma and his successor, Cuauhtémoc was chosen emperor of the Aztec and succeeded in defending the capital throughout the spring and summer of 1521. When finally captured by the Spanish, he refused to reveal the location of the Aztec gold treasury. Taken hostage by Cortés and his party on their march through Honduras, the emperor was tortured and killed by the Spanish. A statue of Cuauhtémoc is in Mexico City. The name is also spelled Guatemotzín and Guatémoc.

Before Cuauhtemoc's death, he sent out this mandate to our people; accepting the death of the fifth sun (see the six suns) while also reminding future generations that we have the responsibility of rebuilding our nation under the sixth sun:

Our beloved sun has disappeared and has left us in total darkness. But we know that it will again return, will again come out and will come anew to shine upon us. But while it stays there in Miktlan (region of eternal repose.) We should rapidly gather and embrace ourselves. And in the center of our heart we will hide all that which our heart appreciates and considers a treasure. And we know like a great jade we will destroy our Teokalwanzintli (houses of youth), our Kalmekawanzintli (Universities), our tlachkowanzintli (ball courts), our telpochkalwanzintli (houses of young men), and our kwikakalwanzintli (houses of song.) That our roads may remain deserted and that our homes may preserve us. For now we do not know until when our new sun will come out. That the fathers and the mothers may never forget to teach their children. The fathers with the boys, the mothers with the girls. And that they teach their children while they live precisely how good has been that which has been until today. Our beloved Anawak! The refuge, the protection and the care of our energies. And as a result of our customs and the behavior that our venerable elders received and our venerable parents with effort sowed in our essence. Now we deliver the task to our children that they guard our writings and our knowledge. From now on our homes will be our teokalwanzintli, our Kalmekawanzintli, our Tlachkowanzintli, our telpochkalwanzintli, our kwikalwanzintli. And do not forget to inform our children intensely how it will be. How we will rise! And exactly how its destiny will be realized and how it will fulfill its grand destiny. Our beloved motherland Anawak.

Totonaltzin omotlahtiuh, totonaltzin oixpoliuh, iwan tzentla yowayan. Otex kateh, max tikmatih. Ma okzepa walla. Ma okzepa kitztiki Iwan yankwik ohtikan. Tex tlawilkin, max inoka ompa ka, Miktlantzin momanitz. Ma tzanwelliu titozentla tilikan. Ma titotexokan, iwan toyolnepantla. Ma titlatikan, moxi in toyoloh kitlazohtla. Kiweyi tlakiomatzintzintli. Iwan tikmatih, ipan iuhkin weyi xalxiwitzintli. Ma tikin popolokan toteokalwanzintli, tokalmekawanzintli, totlachkowanzintli, totelpochkalwanzintli, tokwikakalwanzintli. Ma motzekawakan, to owiwantzintli. Iwan ma toxanwantzintli ma texpelikan. Axkan amo maktia kin ikwak toyanwiktonalzintli. In tatzintzin, in nantzintzin, ma aik kilkawakan in tlamaxtli, in ixpilwantzin. In tatzintzin inka intelpochwan iwan in nantzintzin inka ichpolwan. Iwan ma kimaxtian inpilwan, inoka ik nemitzkeh. In yuhkin, kenin kwalli katka, kin axkan ixkixkawitl totlazohtla Anawak, in tlanekiliz, in tochimal. Iwan tlapalewiliztli toteowantzintzintli iwan tokenpololitztli. okitzeliken tokoltzintzinwan, iwan tlen totahtzintzinwan. Aik yoleka yaopan. okixtinaxkeh toyelitzpan. Akan tewantin tikintekimakah in topilwan, ka totlakwilolitzli wan tototlamatiliztli. Ma pixkia panpa nemolitzli. Axkan iwan tikin tochanwan toteokalwanzintli, tokalmekawanzintli, totlachkowanzintli, totelpochkalwanzintli, tokwikakalwanzintli. Amo makilkawakan, makinotzakan inpilwan, wel kenin yetz, kenin moewatz. Iwan wel kenin kitzko weyika nemilitz, iwan ki yektzon, weyika nextolilitztli - in totlazohtlalnantzin Anawak!