MACEHUAL: BY ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ

“… Here is how you shall be known, how people will speak of you, how you will be remembered by the people. It is necessary that you lower your head, that you govern in a humble manner, with kindness, and always pay attention to the needs of the people. Don’t ever take advantage of the people…”

Huehuetlahtolli: Testimonios de la Antigua Palabra,

Miguel Leon-Portilla, & Librado Silva Galeana

Huehuetlahtolli is a form of communication developed by the Nahuatl-speaking peoples of this continent. Hue means old. Huehue means ancient. Tlahtolli means word. Thus, the ancient word. However, together, it refers to the ancient wisdom of the Toltecayotl or the Toltecs.

Huehuetlahtolli is given as advice or guidances from parents to children. It is also given by elders to doctors, merchants, warriors and leaders. Long before the arrival of Europeans, leadership here was equated both with wisdom and the ability to speak clearly. In fact, a speaker of Nahuatl actually refers to one who speaks clearly. The leader was referred to as Tlahtoani – meaning speaker or one who speaks for the people.

While the opening quote is Huehuetlahtolli for public servants – it appears to be applicable to this era. As such, it seems appropriate to give further guidance to the current administration.

Huehuetlahtolli for the Bush Administration

A leader is honest and humble. A great leader always speaks clearly and firmly. A leader who speaks firmly, but who speaks deceptively or without wisdom betrays himself or herself and the people.

A leader always seeks to bring peoples together. A good leader brings out the good in everyone. A great leader is a peacemaker.

A leader possesses a good memory and governs with the knowledge and wisdom of the past generations. To make sense of the world, a great leader must be able to communicate that knowledge to his or her peoples. A leader without memory knows little, cannot speak, govern or teach. Great leaders are great teachers. They set a moral example and impart knowledge that lasts a lifetime.

Leaders do not amass all power onto themselves. Good leaders never dictate; instead they persuade. Great leaders never proclaim themselves to be omnipotent and infallible. They do not make spectacles of themselves, are not greedy, are kind and mete out justice fairly and compassionately.

Leaders do not exaggerate or change the meaning of words. A good leader does not govern through force or fear nor do they blame others for their own failures. Great leaders do not create war and call it peace.  Great leaders never invent reasons for war and then send the children of others to shed needless blood.

Leaders humanize people; they help give them a face and a heart. Good leaders humanize their enemies. They see no aliens or enemies; just neighbors. Great leaders build bridges, are honorable and are judged by the manner in which they treat all the people.

Bad leaders demonize their neighbors and enemies and build walls. Terrible leaders demonize their friends when they disagree and make them their enemies. Pompous leaders see everyone as beneath them, are cowardly and take advantage of the people.

Leaders are stewards of the earth and all life. Good leaders are not wasteful and do not pollute. Great leaders divide the resources of the nation equally and do not show favor, except to the least amongst us.

Leaders who lack wisdom and memory, who govern through fear and do not speak the truth are liars and fools. Arrogant leaders who lie, then later deny their untruthfulness, are insane. They are dishonorable and bring shame to themselves and the people.

Leaders who are untruthful and who surround themselves with dishonest and deceitful advisors, who lack wisdom and who enrich themselves at the expense of the people, lose the capacity to speak clearly and forfeit the right to speak for the people.

A people who accept insane leaders deserve their insanity. But peoples who reject them, yet fail to oppose them and oust them will also be known as foolish, cowardly and insane.

“…this is how you shall be known, how the future generations will speak of you,  how you will be remembered...”

© Column of the Americas 2007