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Northern Veracruz consists of four well defined areas: the
Huazteca region,
the Huayacoctla sierras, the Totanacapan area and the Emerald Coast.
The far
northern corner is formed by the meeting of the Tempoal, Tamesi and Panuco
rivers on the northern border with the state of Tamaulipas where the large
City of Tampico holds court. Papantla is the most well known town in northern Veracruz for visitors. Not only is it the gateway City to Veracruz's most spectacular archaeological site El Tajin, it is also the flower-filled, center of the Mexican vanilla industry and heart of Totonac culture. Every Sunday in front of the church overlooking the vibrant zocolo, the dance-spectacle of the Voladores de Papantla is performed here. Yet Papantla is one of the smaller Cities with a challenging hot, humid climate and mediocre restaurants. This region is the homeland to two of the Americas most vibrant Indian cultures who have against great odds kept their language, traditions and culture alive and 
well. Their close proximity may be somewhat due to being pushed out of
the richer agricultural lands in southern Veracruz where the mother
culture of the Olmecs and other most powerful successors were
centered. The Hustacs language is a derivative of the Mayan tongue
while the Totenacs dialect is Náhuatl
which the Aztecs and Toltecs spoke.Regions history begins 1500 years (B.C. before
Christ). The Tuxpan
Codex of 1499 is still proudly conservedThe fuzzy boundary between the Totonac and Huastec regions begins somewhere between Papantla and Poza Rica. Huastecs tend to blend more into the mestizo world and have much more mixed blood. There are over 100,000 speakers of Husateca in the multi-state region. The Huasteca is a beautiful subtropical region in the states of Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Veracruz, and Hidalgo. The Huazteca culture is well known for its traditional music and wonderful cuisine. The town of Tamiahua, with its rich lagoon is the leading epicurean location. The Huapango, a Mestizo dance created in colonial times with African influence is the signature dance with a Nahuátl root meaning "to dance on boards" The rivers Tantoán, Tamesí and Pánuco define the state of Tamautipas, and by the south, the Cazones river forms the limit with the Totonaca Region. To the east, the Huasteca disappears in the Gulf of Mexico, where is the extensive salt water lagoon of Tamiahua, separated of the sea by a coastal cord; and, in the part the west, it finishes in the Mountain range of Huayacocotla and the states of San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo and Puebla. The states adjoining Northern Veracruz and the Pánuco river basin, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas and Hidalgo are also vessels of Huastec culture. These people because of their wealth, were among the most important of conquered Aztec subjects. The Huastecs call themselves Teenek, which means "those who live in the fields with their language, their blood and share the idea". Totonacapan region; 230 km (140 miles on 180 highway) north of Veracruz 90 km from Tuxpan
Totonac costumes were very different from those worn by people from
the high plateau. According to him, high classes were the only allowed
to wear cotton and the others wore clothes made of weaven henequen.
Today the Totonac men dress characteristically in white muslim, with a
long sleeved smock worn over loose pants gathered at the ankle. The
women practice hand weaving and embroidery and there is hope that this
practice will grow as a mutual benefit of the developing visitor
industry.
The Huastecs of Veracruz ||
The San Luis Potosí Huastecs
Elbalero.gob.mx/
a kids
site by the Presidency of the Republic of Mexico with a special focus
on the indigenous people of Mexico
http://indigenas.presidencia.gob.mx/
http://www.surf-mexico.com/states/SLP/taninul.htm
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