Chicago and Tenochtitlan speak to each other across time and space.

Tenochtitlan and Chicago speak to each other across time and space.

August 13, 2021 marked the 500 year anniversary of the Fall of Tenochtitlan. The Fall of Tenochtitlan resulted in the tragic killing and capture of an estimated 40,000 Indigenous civilians, the ongoing occupation of Indigenous territory for the last 500 years, and the genocide of Mesoamerica's Indigenous peoples at the hands of the Spanish Empire and the Catholic Church. The Fall of Tenochtitlan also shaped the contemporary Mexican nation, the present day metropolis of Mexico City, and the Americas. 

Through a map, and a series of free community events, Chicagotlan: Finding Tenochtitlan in Chicago invites Latinx, Indigenous, and Mexican-American youth, and all Chicagoland residents, to contemplate and commemorate this catastrophic and world changing event. By exploring Chicago’s cultural and educational resources, we can gain a better understanding of the history of the Fall of Tenochtitlan and the Aztec (Mexica) capital’s enduring legacy.

Read more about Chicagotlan in South Side Weekly, and the Chicago Tribune.

Chicagotlan's Organizing Committee acknowledges that Chicago is the ancestral homeland to the Anishinaabek; Niswi-mishkodewin (Council of the Three Fires): Ojibwe, Odawa, and the Potawatomi along with dozens of tribes who cultivated and molded the land to sustainably suit their needs since time immemorial. Read our full Land Acknowledgement. 

Created with NationBuilder