Story Number 2: Blood of the Ancients, Cuahtemoc Cardenas, Searching for Answers
Cuahtemoc was a rare person for where he came from. Although he was Zapotec, like a large part of the native Oaxacans where he was raised in Santiago Comaltepec and the surrounding provinces of that part of southern Mexico, he had a few things about him that made him unique from the rest of his compatriots.
He was wealthy, he was very educated, and he was an adherent of the La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias. He was known as a "Mormon". Most Oaxacan Zapotecs were Catholic, or more recently Evangelical Christian, or even there were those that maintained a lot of the ancestral Zapotec beliefs, as they did the ancient language. Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, were fewer and farther between. Some joined through baptism; it was rare to find a multi-generational family that held close to the beliefs and practices of this North American-based faith. Rarer still that such a family like his had a lot of money and power.
In truth, his family had more money and land than power and influence, but that was very okay by them. Some people with more popular influence in Mexico had problems that no one wanted to deal with. This is probably as true in Mexico than anywhere, but probably more particularly in Mexico and the state of Oaxaca, was popularity a very mixed blessing.
Cuahtemoc, from an endless list of proud of Zapotec ancestors, had been born into the Church of Jesus Christ when his parents had joined in the 1960s. Because of nationalistic and cultural factors, this Church was known to some as the Rich Faith of Gringolandia, Los Mormones, La Iglesia Mormona, which to many equaled a North American-based cult or, at best, a rich upstart from the United States that was trying to swindle and deceive the people in the poor southern climes of Mexico.
Cuahtemoc knew better. He saw and experienced this organized religion, first as a child raised in the 1960s and 70s to parents who were converts and somewhat outsiders, then he observed it as an insider for three decades. He read and analyzed the Book of Mormon with different eyes than most. He saw its sagacious wisdom and knew of its power, once the messages were understood. He also saw the beauty and effectiveness of the organization and how it worked.
The Book of Mormon alone had most of the answers that he needed to be inspired and guided.
At first it was something he took in stride like the Holy Bible: he believed that God had a chosen people that was guided by prophets and elect like Abraham and Joseph and Moses and David. The prophets and visionaries of the Book of Mormon were the same to him. But, over time, Cuahtemoc, nicknamed Temo by those who knew him best, came to see the modern day applications of the narratives and principles of the book, published in English only since 1830. Spanish versions took even more time. Unlike the Bible, the Book of Mormon had specific lessons for his time and his people, both individually and collectively. Well, truthfully, the Holy Bible had much of it intertwined, but the Book of Mormon was even more personalized. It was given specifically to the descendants of the ancient Americans.
As well as, of course, the European Gentiles: the promises and future blessings for the Gentiles who had spread across the oceans in the last 500 years, millions of whom had mixed with his peoples, the original native Americans. The prophets Nephi and Jacob, Mosiah and Alma, and later Lehi and Nephi and Moroni and Mormon, the great editor of this compendium itself, all of them had pointed to these days when the ancient prophecies would be fulfilled. He understood much of the magnitude of the portents of that book, combined with the Bible and the more recent Doctrine and Covenants.
And therefore, he knew he had a part of it. He was a part of God's final act. How big a part, would be partially up to him, and the rest was up to God. But he had been increasing his knowledge and faith for decades, so now it was time to act. Or begin to act.
If he himself could unlock the power of the inside knowledge of the promises of the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and all the ancient and modern prophets of God that had been bestowed to the children of the promise, then he could live out his life as he should. And alas, he knew he was the not the Prophet himself nor a general authority. But he would be doing something great because he knew great things.
If he talked about it with most people they thought he was simply insane, deluded and delusional. But what he knew was real; it was taking place. He saw it happen over time. History books showed the same.
The picture was quite muddled, he knew, but he understood more of the mysteries and pieces of the puzzle than most. Part of that fact was due to his native heritage and cultural knowledge. But also because of his wealth and subsequent education, and endless curiosity, he had learned so much going into the 21st century... And the other part was supplied by the tribe of Ephraim, the Gentiles and Stick of Joseph. Joseph of Egypt and Joseph Smith, Junior. It all came together. Just a little more to understand...
His plan was to go north and find out more about the great unknowns of the brothers known as Inuit. They were pejoratively called Eskimos by people of lesser nuance or sensitivity. The ignorantes, or as they might be called ignoramuses in English: there was no end to them. The select knew who these people were, how they fit into the future of the world's peoples.
He would start, finally well into his fifties, preparing for more advanced age. With nothing else to be afraid of. What could his own community and government do to him now?
He chose to travel and explore the human terrain of Alert, Ellesmere Island, the highest and farthest extreme of the North American continent. He knew, by his own research, that most of the inhabitants there--especially in the summer time, when most bearable-- were simply temporary scientists and occasional military strategists. There would not be many native Inuit of Canada or Alaska. But there would be good geographical data on them, and key insights.
He was confidant that the Inuit themselves were not of the tribes of the Lamanaites, or the remnants of the Nephites... They were more Asiatic, they had crossed the Bering land bridge as the scientists, albeit painfully secular, proclaimed. But when did their blood end, and the Lamanites begin?
He would start with the very top and work his way down. He already thought that he had captured the make up of Mesoamerica, which was the true core and heart of it all.
He arrived in August, a good time for 83 degrees north latitudes. Enough light and warmth to be a bit outgoing, not too out of the norm. The community up there was not accustomed to Zapotecs, naturally, but he passed for straight Mexican, and that had more cache as he was backed by money and scientific reasoning, to discover haplotypes and DNA.
Of the 300 there at his arrival and following up with some key questions, he soon found one man that he thought would help him. Nukilik Arnatsiaq was a 40 year-old native of Iqaluit. He was a geo-systems scientist, very bright, and quite friendly. He knew where to direct Cuahtemoc, which included over a dozen places across Nunavut. This covered hundreds of thousands of square kilometers.
"So you wish to talk to native Inuit to see what their stories say about them? How they arrived?"
"Yes," replied Temo, in his best English," I hope to find out where they all come from."
" Most of it is already documented and recorded, but I suppose it will not hurt."
"Sure, I understand. But I have some key insight into the native cultures far to the south, which sheds light on the entire continent, or continents. We in the south see the lands as very interconnected, and therefore the peoples are. We see it even in our words and thought patterns. Millions have died, mostly because of foreign diseases, so we are missing out on a lot. But much remains."
"Sounds ambitious, rather incredible."
"I have had some inside help and insight; I believe that there are answers to be found, especially now."
"Wow, best of luck to you."
" Thank you, very kind. Before I leave," (the conversation had lasted over four hours)," I have a book I want to leave with you. No cost, it is a gift and a token of my appreciation."
"Ahh, thanks!"
"You may have heard of it: it is called the Book of Mormon. Its stated purpose is very religious and spiritual. Within its pages there are ancient promises and blessing that involve us heavily, those of us survivors in the Western Hemisphere. Those main promises, about finding out if it is true, has been true for me and my family. However, there are hidden and sublime messages found within, that contain even more for us, the peoples of this land."
" I certainly must read it, I will. I always dismissed it as a fabrication, or at least I had heard from others. Best practice to know for oneself."
"So true. You are a wise person."
"I appreciate your interest and candor."
And thus Cuahtemoc, in the 2000s, began his quest to put the puzzles together, to unite the peoples he knew as his long lost brethren and sisters.
His travels and interviews will be recorded in the pages of history to come. It took him two more summers to follow up on the initial leads he was given by Nukilik. From there he went to Greenland, the Yukon, Alaska, upper Siberia, and eventually made his way down to the provinces of Canada, the United States, and eventually his querido (dear) Mexico.
Brother Cardenas would not stop until Punta Arenas or death. Either way, he was on his way to his home earth, to go where the sky and the land come together: the Everlasting Glorious Hills of America.
He had to find his way home, and perhaps spread it to others before it was too late for him or them.
He was wealthy, he was very educated, and he was an adherent of the La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias. He was known as a "Mormon". Most Oaxacan Zapotecs were Catholic, or more recently Evangelical Christian, or even there were those that maintained a lot of the ancestral Zapotec beliefs, as they did the ancient language. Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, were fewer and farther between. Some joined through baptism; it was rare to find a multi-generational family that held close to the beliefs and practices of this North American-based faith. Rarer still that such a family like his had a lot of money and power.
In truth, his family had more money and land than power and influence, but that was very okay by them. Some people with more popular influence in Mexico had problems that no one wanted to deal with. This is probably as true in Mexico than anywhere, but probably more particularly in Mexico and the state of Oaxaca, was popularity a very mixed blessing.
Cuahtemoc, from an endless list of proud of Zapotec ancestors, had been born into the Church of Jesus Christ when his parents had joined in the 1960s. Because of nationalistic and cultural factors, this Church was known to some as the Rich Faith of Gringolandia, Los Mormones, La Iglesia Mormona, which to many equaled a North American-based cult or, at best, a rich upstart from the United States that was trying to swindle and deceive the people in the poor southern climes of Mexico.
Cuahtemoc knew better. He saw and experienced this organized religion, first as a child raised in the 1960s and 70s to parents who were converts and somewhat outsiders, then he observed it as an insider for three decades. He read and analyzed the Book of Mormon with different eyes than most. He saw its sagacious wisdom and knew of its power, once the messages were understood. He also saw the beauty and effectiveness of the organization and how it worked.
The Book of Mormon alone had most of the answers that he needed to be inspired and guided.
At first it was something he took in stride like the Holy Bible: he believed that God had a chosen people that was guided by prophets and elect like Abraham and Joseph and Moses and David. The prophets and visionaries of the Book of Mormon were the same to him. But, over time, Cuahtemoc, nicknamed Temo by those who knew him best, came to see the modern day applications of the narratives and principles of the book, published in English only since 1830. Spanish versions took even more time. Unlike the Bible, the Book of Mormon had specific lessons for his time and his people, both individually and collectively. Well, truthfully, the Holy Bible had much of it intertwined, but the Book of Mormon was even more personalized. It was given specifically to the descendants of the ancient Americans.
As well as, of course, the European Gentiles: the promises and future blessings for the Gentiles who had spread across the oceans in the last 500 years, millions of whom had mixed with his peoples, the original native Americans. The prophets Nephi and Jacob, Mosiah and Alma, and later Lehi and Nephi and Moroni and Mormon, the great editor of this compendium itself, all of them had pointed to these days when the ancient prophecies would be fulfilled. He understood much of the magnitude of the portents of that book, combined with the Bible and the more recent Doctrine and Covenants.
And therefore, he knew he had a part of it. He was a part of God's final act. How big a part, would be partially up to him, and the rest was up to God. But he had been increasing his knowledge and faith for decades, so now it was time to act. Or begin to act.
If he himself could unlock the power of the inside knowledge of the promises of the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and all the ancient and modern prophets of God that had been bestowed to the children of the promise, then he could live out his life as he should. And alas, he knew he was the not the Prophet himself nor a general authority. But he would be doing something great because he knew great things.
If he talked about it with most people they thought he was simply insane, deluded and delusional. But what he knew was real; it was taking place. He saw it happen over time. History books showed the same.
The picture was quite muddled, he knew, but he understood more of the mysteries and pieces of the puzzle than most. Part of that fact was due to his native heritage and cultural knowledge. But also because of his wealth and subsequent education, and endless curiosity, he had learned so much going into the 21st century... And the other part was supplied by the tribe of Ephraim, the Gentiles and Stick of Joseph. Joseph of Egypt and Joseph Smith, Junior. It all came together. Just a little more to understand...
His plan was to go north and find out more about the great unknowns of the brothers known as Inuit. They were pejoratively called Eskimos by people of lesser nuance or sensitivity. The ignorantes, or as they might be called ignoramuses in English: there was no end to them. The select knew who these people were, how they fit into the future of the world's peoples.
He would start, finally well into his fifties, preparing for more advanced age. With nothing else to be afraid of. What could his own community and government do to him now?
He chose to travel and explore the human terrain of Alert, Ellesmere Island, the highest and farthest extreme of the North American continent. He knew, by his own research, that most of the inhabitants there--especially in the summer time, when most bearable-- were simply temporary scientists and occasional military strategists. There would not be many native Inuit of Canada or Alaska. But there would be good geographical data on them, and key insights.
He was confidant that the Inuit themselves were not of the tribes of the Lamanaites, or the remnants of the Nephites... They were more Asiatic, they had crossed the Bering land bridge as the scientists, albeit painfully secular, proclaimed. But when did their blood end, and the Lamanites begin?
He would start with the very top and work his way down. He already thought that he had captured the make up of Mesoamerica, which was the true core and heart of it all.
He arrived in August, a good time for 83 degrees north latitudes. Enough light and warmth to be a bit outgoing, not too out of the norm. The community up there was not accustomed to Zapotecs, naturally, but he passed for straight Mexican, and that had more cache as he was backed by money and scientific reasoning, to discover haplotypes and DNA.
Of the 300 there at his arrival and following up with some key questions, he soon found one man that he thought would help him. Nukilik Arnatsiaq was a 40 year-old native of Iqaluit. He was a geo-systems scientist, very bright, and quite friendly. He knew where to direct Cuahtemoc, which included over a dozen places across Nunavut. This covered hundreds of thousands of square kilometers.
"So you wish to talk to native Inuit to see what their stories say about them? How they arrived?"
"Yes," replied Temo, in his best English," I hope to find out where they all come from."
" Most of it is already documented and recorded, but I suppose it will not hurt."
"Sure, I understand. But I have some key insight into the native cultures far to the south, which sheds light on the entire continent, or continents. We in the south see the lands as very interconnected, and therefore the peoples are. We see it even in our words and thought patterns. Millions have died, mostly because of foreign diseases, so we are missing out on a lot. But much remains."
"Sounds ambitious, rather incredible."
"I have had some inside help and insight; I believe that there are answers to be found, especially now."
"Wow, best of luck to you."
" Thank you, very kind. Before I leave," (the conversation had lasted over four hours)," I have a book I want to leave with you. No cost, it is a gift and a token of my appreciation."
"Ahh, thanks!"
"You may have heard of it: it is called the Book of Mormon. Its stated purpose is very religious and spiritual. Within its pages there are ancient promises and blessing that involve us heavily, those of us survivors in the Western Hemisphere. Those main promises, about finding out if it is true, has been true for me and my family. However, there are hidden and sublime messages found within, that contain even more for us, the peoples of this land."
" I certainly must read it, I will. I always dismissed it as a fabrication, or at least I had heard from others. Best practice to know for oneself."
"So true. You are a wise person."
"I appreciate your interest and candor."
And thus Cuahtemoc, in the 2000s, began his quest to put the puzzles together, to unite the peoples he knew as his long lost brethren and sisters.
His travels and interviews will be recorded in the pages of history to come. It took him two more summers to follow up on the initial leads he was given by Nukilik. From there he went to Greenland, the Yukon, Alaska, upper Siberia, and eventually made his way down to the provinces of Canada, the United States, and eventually his querido (dear) Mexico.
Brother Cardenas would not stop until Punta Arenas or death. Either way, he was on his way to his home earth, to go where the sky and the land come together: the Everlasting Glorious Hills of America.
He had to find his way home, and perhaps spread it to others before it was too late for him or them.
