The Green Indians

As I mentioned in the previous post, the northern terminus of the Metrobus Route 7 (as well as the Metrobus Route 1) is called "Indios Verdes" (Green Indians).  The name comes from the two statues of Aztec warrior emperors that stand in a nearby park.  (The bronze acquired a greenish patina with age.)

The statues were cast for the Mexican exhibit at the 1889 World's Fair in Paris but instead were placed along the Paseo de la Reforma.  However, the upper class, white elites objected to the statues of Indians in their neighborhood, and the sculptures were moved to the northern entrance of Mexico City.  For many years they stood astride the Pan American Highway welcoming visitors to the city.  In 2005 they were moved to the nearby park where they are today.

According to what I have read, the neighborhood where the park is located is quite dangerous.  I intended to disembark from the Metrobus and immediately take the next bus south without exploring the area at all.  However, as the bus passed by the park it didn't look intimidating.  It may be dangerous by night, but in broad daylight I saw no suspicious characters lurking around, just ordinary folks, young and old, male and female, going about their business.  So, when I got off the bus, I went to the dusty park across the street to get a closer look at those "Green Indians".

The figures are about twelve feet in height and weigh over 600 pounds each.

"Los Indios Verdes" are not the only statues in the park.  Nearby is a monument to "Mestizaje"... the mixing of the indigenous and Spanish blood which created the Mexican people of today.   On either side are statues of a native warrior and a Spanish conquistador.  Atop a pillar between them is a woman who represents the "mestizos" who emerged from those two peoples.

Just beyond that is a fountain, although the water was not turned on.  Surrounding the fountain are three sculptures which portray three of the most famous indigenous dances of Mexico...

the Quetzal dancer from the state of Puebla...

the Feather Dancer from the state of Oaxaca...

and the Deer Dancer of the Yaqui tribe in the deserts of northern Mexico.

Some impressive statuary in a sadly neglected park.