727shares
Tucked away in a corner of the state of Coahuila, only a couple of hours from the United States border, lies a municipality with an open secret: two communities one of African descendants (called Mascogos in Mexico) and one of Kickapoo, both who fled the United States in the 19th century.
The twin communities are both called Nacimiento, referring to the birth of Jesus, but distinguished from each other not so subtly with the appendages
de los Negros and
de los Indios. Both communities belong to the municipality of Muzquiz, a coal mining and ranching area.
The two ethnicities share similar stories: both were displaced on multiple occasions in the 19th century as the United States expanded and consolidated its hold on territories west and into Florida. Both groups would find at least a measure of asylum in Mexican territory, generally in exchange for military services. Both groups have familial and tribal connections to the United States.