 The Purépecha are known to have migrated from elsewhere to their current location, as their tradition includes stories of having traveled from the Pacific Ocean to their current locations.Ethnohistorical accounts mention them as a people dwelling in the same region of Michoacán they live in now as early as the 13th century.According to the , the communities around Lake Pátzcuaro were gathered into the strong Purépecha State by the leader of the Uacúsecha group of Purépecha speakers, Tariácuri.