The Olive (Olivean), a race of lighter colored people than the tribes surrounding them. occupy territory southeast of the Pisone and Janambre, in the state of Tamaulipas. Tra dition says they came from Florida, which may mean only the Gulf coast. They were superior in culture to their neighbors, but nevertheless their language has become extinct.
The Pakawan or Coahuilteco is the name given to a number of cognate tribes of southern Texas and northern Mexico. They covered con siderable territory east of that occupied by the Toboso. This included, in Mexico, the eastern side of Coahuila, most of Nuevo Leon and the northernpart of Tamaulipas. As these tribes were inclined to be nomadic and were but partially civilized, they rapidly lost their lan guage after their conquest by the Spaniards_ Otomi (Hia-hiu).—The word Otomi is used in two senses. It signifies the race of people speaking the Otomi language; and it was ex tended to include, in a general way, those races which from time to time formed loose alliances with the Otomi for war or defense. They have been confounded with the so-called Chichi meca, and some authorities claim that they form one of the ethnic divisions of the latter very indefinite tribal designation. The Otomi, who had distinct customs and a complicated my thology, but were less civilized than the Nahua, occupied a large, somewhat irregular, yet com pact portion of central Mexico, where many of their descendants may be found to-day still speaking their ancient tongue. Their territory extended over part of San Luis Potosi, all of Queretaro and most of Guanajuato, reaching into the state of Mexico, a short distance south of Mexico City, and from there westward to Michoacan. On the east were the Huasteca, on the southeast the Tarascans and along the north west the Nahua. They were divided into four tribes: Otomi proper, Pirinda, Pame (north west of the Otomi) and the Mazahua (east of the Tarascan, in the southwestern part of the state of Mexico). In the time of the later Aztec empire the Mazahua occupied the prov ince of Mazahuacin situated in the western mountains of the valley of Mexico. They were subject to Tactiba. The Pirinda territory was principally in the valley of Toluca, and some descendants still live in villages in the land of the Mexicans, others in Tarascan territory. The
Otomi were a numerous, industrious and fairly intelligent race.
Under the heading of °Rio Grande tribes," Orozco y Berra groups a number of native com munities occupying territory in the state of Tamaulipas at or near the mouth of the Rio Grande River; but he furnishes no further data respecting them with which to classify them; but as the Indians of this district no longer retain their tribal organizations, and as their languages have also disappeared, little is known of their pre-Columbian culture.
The Seri, who occupied a considerable ex tent of territory on the mainland opposite the peninsula of Lower California, where their language is still spoken to some extent, are classed among th 2. less civilized of the Mexican races. Their territory stretches inland into the mountain region for 150 miles or more from the coast, and includes the island of Tiburon (shark) in the gulf.
Under the head of Tamaulipeco, Orozco y Berra, who has paid more attention than any other investigator to the races of Tamaulipas, where the native languages have all practically disappeared, gives the following tribes: Tamaulipeco proper, Canaynes, Quinicuanes, Borrados, Tedexenos, Pasitas, Tagualilos, Caribayes, Mariguanes, Panguayes, Anacana, Cadinia, Guixolotes, Pintos, Comecrudos, Ma linchenos, Ancasiguais and Aretines.
The Tarasco (Michoacano), occupying ap proximately the state of Michoacan, speaking a distinct language and having customs, myths and traditions different from those of the other races of Mexico, form one of the important racial divisions of the republic. They are a highly cultured people and, in the time of the Aztec empire, they maintained a separate, inde pendent government.
From the city of Vera Cruz northward to the Huasteca and inland to Tlaxcala, lie the Totonaca, almost completely surrounded by the Nahua. They were a cultured race at the time of the Conquest, and it was among them that the conqueror, Cortes, established the first Spanish government and colony on the main land of the American continent.