 The Purépecha are descendants of a late arrival of Chichimecas who came from the north.At Lake Pátzcuaro, they came upon people with similar cultures to their own but who were more technically and socially advanced.The formation of the Purépecha state began in the 13th century, when these people started their own dominion at Uayameo, today Santa Fe de la Laguna and becoming dominant over the entire Lake Pátzcuaro area by the 15th century.