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John Lopez
Center for Indigenous Cultural Survival

Rob Proudfoot, Mentor

From Tonantzin to Guadalupe: The De-Colonization of Indigenous Cultural Knowledge

The focus of this research is to address how the built-environment of Mexico City-Tenochtitlan is a multi-layered, multi-dimensional cultural process that conveys meaning within the context of colonialism. Using the Relational Model (Proudfoot, 1989), I will explore the conceptualization, construction, and uses of architecture and its relationship to landscapes, identities, spirituality, and the societies that produce them. Specific structures related to this work include Pre-Columbian built-environments such as Tenochtitlan and Teotihuacan as well as two examples of Spanish religious architecture—the Cathedral of Mexico and the church dedicated to the Virgen de Guadalupe. This study offers insights into the relationship between architecture and colonialism while showing ways that indigenous cultures have maintained their identity.