Tarascan << tuh RAS kuhn >> are an Indigenous (native) people who live on the high plateaus of west-central Mexico, in what is now the state of Michoacán. They are also known as the Purepecha. They ruled a powerful empire in the area from the late 1300’s to the early 1500’s. The Tarascan Empire bordered the larger Aztec Empire to the east.
The Tarascan Empire was highly organized. It included several major settlements near Lake Patzcuaro, including the empire’s capital, Tzintzuntzan << `tseent` soont SAHN >>. The Tarascan fished in the numerous marshy lakes in the region. They also hunted deer and smaller animals and raised turkeys and such crops as beans, chili peppers, corn, and squash. Spaniards conquered the Tarascan Empire in the 1520’s.
Today, many Tarascan people still follow their traditional ways of life. They farm and fish in the rugged areas of Michoacán. They also carve wooden objects and weave baskets, mats, and nets. In their local communities, many Tarascan still speak Tarascan dialects instead of Spanish, the language most widely spoken in Mexico.
