Indigenous Peoples of the World

Maya

Tz'utuhil Maya girls in Panabaj, GuatemalaThe Maya people constitute a diverse range of Indigenous Peoples in southern Mexico and northern Central America. The overarching term “Maya” is a convenient collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term embraces many distinct populations, societies, and ethnic groups, who each have their own particular traditions, cultures, and historical identity.

There are an estimated 7 million Maya living in this area at the start of the 21st century. Ethnic Maya of Guatemala, southern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize, El Salvador, and western Honduras have managed to maintain substantial remnants of their ancient cultural heritage. Some are quite integrated into the majority hispanicized Mestizo cultures of the nations in which they reside, while others continue a more traditional culturally distinct life, often speaking one of the Maya languages as a primary language.

The largest populations of contemporary Maya inhabit Guatemala, Belize, and the western portions of Honduras and El Salvador, as well as large segments of population within the Mexican states of Yucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, and Chiapas.

Excerpted from Wikipedia

Archive

NISGUA: First trial for Guatemalan genocide set to open

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 18, 2013 Contact: Courtney Martinez, (510) 868-­0612, courtney@nisgua.org Phil Neff, (206) 434-­2475, organizer@nisgua.org Nearly twelve... Read More

Maya Q’eqchi’ bring mining fight to Washington, D.C.

Leaders seeking international intervention to protect their lands and communities MEDIA ADVISORY March 8, 2013 For more information contact: Lorena Vaca... Read More

Zapatistas: “to be heard, we march in silence”

The Zapatistas are back! Flowing like the water of the river that beats the sword. And while some were... Read More

The moral and organizational strength of the EZLN

Next 1st of January will mark the first 18 years of the armed uprising of the Zapatista Army of... Read More

Maya BANNED from performing ceremonies at ancestral temples in Mexico

Mexican authorities have banned Maya spiritual leaders from performing ceremonies at their ancestral temples, which are about to be... Read More

Guatemalan delegation travelling to Canada to challenge corporate impunity

EL ESTOR, GUATEMALA–The rain won’t let up. It muddies the ground and pounds the corrugated metal roof of Angelica... Read More

Should Chiapas Farmers Suffer for California’s Carbon?

“We are not responsible for climate change—it’s the big industries that are,” said Abelardo, a young man from the... Read More

The Truth About Christopher Columbus

Stephanie Adohi, a member of Workers World Party, speaks on the truth about Christopher Columbus, the Spanish mercenaries known... Read More

Urgent message from the Zapatistas of San Marcos Avilés

This video relays an urgent message from the Zapatistas of San Marcos Avilés. The Video is in Tzeltal with... Read More

The struggle for Maya land, oil, and gold

After two very recent attacks on Maya community leaders in Guatemala, the challenges faced by the lawyers applying domestic... Read More

2012 The Mayan Word

Everyone is talking about the Mayan Prophecies of 2012. But who is listening to the Maya? This groundbreaking documentary... Read More

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Gives in to Pressure From Guatemala

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has once again submitted to the demands of a Nation State at... Read More

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Hair of the Dog