URGENT REQUEST! Day of the Dead Material

URGENT REQUEST!

I am under a tight deadline on a project involving the Mexican Day of the Dead. Much of the anthropological literature is written by Marxists and assorted anti-Catholics who are determined to downplay the significance of All Souls and All Saints observances. As a result they yammer on about the syncretic elements of it, how it is really just a Catholic gloss on ancient Amerindian festivities.

Given the bias of most scholars in the Latin American studies fields and the lack of solid evidence of exactly what these ancient practices (most of the stuff is given the level of assumption and is poorly footnoted), and the erroneous notions of the Faith when it is not altogether ignored, I am assuming that there is a high degree of error throughout almost all academic discussion of this observance.

Now, this is the problem: I have to have a good rough draft of this project by Sunday. I have never been to Patzcuaro or any of the places where this celebration is done in a grand style, and I will probably only have one day to use the library (although I will have more time for checking sources after this rough draft is in). If any of you have any information about the Day of the Dead, can point me in the right direction either with print titles or (preferably) Internet sources (reliable ones, though), I will greatly appreciate it!

I am looking for solidly Catholic material, although I am not looking for a whitewash. If, indeed, there are syncretic elements in the theology (obviously there are in the art, and some of the rituals) and beliefs of most of the folks who observe this day, then I need to know about that, as the most important thing here is accuracy.

So, please, if you have any information, please let me know via the comments box or my email: EKeilholtz[at]aol[dot]com.

Gracias!