Today (Nov. 29 when first posted) the coup-led government of Honduras is holding a farse election, which most of the people will reject and abstain from. The Quixote Center will have updates throughout the day, as does the Honduras Resists website. One of the main groups that is rejecting the coup and organizing the resistance, especially in the rural areas is COPINH, the Civic Council for Popular Organizations and Indigenous of Honduras. COPINH is based in La Esperanza, Intibucá, the heartland of the Lenca in Honduras. Many of the leaders of COPINH are women, including Bertha Cáceres.
It seems appropriate, then, to talk about another Lenca woman, Antu Silan Ulap, who organized resistance to the domination of the Conquistadores who were in search of profits and riches. In 1524 and 1525, the Spanish entered El Salvador from Guatemala, led by Pedro Alvarado. They faced much resistance from the Pipiles and were not able to reach eastern El Salvador, the area of the Lencas. Finally, with more forces, the Spanish established the garrison town of San Miguel, headed by Luis de Moscoso, in 1526.
Antu Silan Ulap was the crown princess of the Lencas. Her way of dealing with the Spanish was to organize. She went from village to village uniting all the Lencas towns in present day El Salvador and Honduras. Through surprise and large numbers they were able to drive the Spanish out of San Miguel and destroy the garrison. For ten years, the Lencas kept the Spanish from being able to build a permanent settlement.
The Spanish returned with more forces, including about 2,000 forced conscripts from indigenous communities in Mexico and Guatemala. They pursued the Lenca leaders further up into the mountains of Intibucá. Antu Silan Ulap continued leading the forces until, late in pregnancy, she slipped out of the conflicted area to a safe haven, Tihuilotal, to give birth. Tihuilotal is a little southwest of the present city of La Unión, near the source of the sacred Managuara River. She handed over control of the Lenca resistance to Lempira (also called Empira).
In the meantime, the Spanish found gold in central and northern Honduras. They invaded indigenous communities in Guatemala and Honduras to conscript slaves to pan for gold. Soon hundreds of the slaves were dead from disease, mistreatment, and rebellion. The Spanish soon brought African slaves to also pan for gold and begin to work the underground mines. The African slaves also rebelled and the beginning of Honduras’ history of combined resistance by indigenous and former African slaves (Garífuna) began.
Lempira was noteworthy among indigenous leaders in that he mocked the Spanish by wearing their clothes after capturing them and he used their weapons, captured in battle. Lempira fought in command of thousands of Lenca forces for six more years in El Salvador and Honduras until finally he was killed in battle (contrary to the popular story) and the remaining Lenca forces retreated into the hills. The Spanish were able to rebuild their garrison town of San Miguel in 1537 as well as garrison towns in southern Honduras. But Lempira’s history continued to live in the collective memory.
Those who know the Salvadoran and Honduran social movements of the last 35 years will recognize the seeds of the movement in the story of Antu Silan Ulap and Lempira.
Originally posted Nov. 29, 2009 on BlogBox
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