Figure 1.-- The Guatemalan Mam people speak one of nine languages/dialects that make up the Guatemala Cluster. Though the languages are all part of the Mayan family, none were easily intelgible to the speakers of the other. This Mam family is Delix Pablo and Teodora Carillo and their children. Despite theur Spanish names the lack of a commom last name suggest ghat they were not married ijn a Catholic ceremony. We are not sure when tghe photograph was takem perhaps the 1980s.

The Maya inhabited parts of Mexico and Central America, including Chiapas, the northern lowlands of the Yucatán Peninsula, the southern lowlands and highlands of Guatemala, Belize, and parts of western El Salvador and Honduras. One notable aspect of the Maya was their ethnic composition. Modern genetic studies show higher levels of variation compared to Amerindiam groups. [Crawford] Archeologists have note this. Many sites studied in southern Meso-America showed what difficult to identify cultures mix of Maya, Olmec, and other civilations. The Maya were more of a cultural group than an ethnic group. Many Mayams in Guatemala continue to speak a Mayan language, although they may also understand Spanish to a varying degree. But there was no one Mayan languages, but many. They might be seen as dialects, but many were so diiferent that they were not mutually intelligible. Many continue to also practice various aspects of their pre-Colombian civiliization. Most pronounced are Mayan spiritual practices, often blended with Roman Catholic practices. Unlike mestizos, many Amerindians commonly live in poverty on the edge of Guatemalan society. One source suggests that is to a degree by choice because their traditional lifestyles are ecologically and spiritually satisfying. They seem to have largely chosen to remain isolated from national life--meaning mestizo cultural patterns. The Guatemalan government in the past has attempted to suppress Amerindin culture and turn Spanish into a universal nationl language. at times brutal measures have been employed. This was a factor in the tragic Civil War. And even non-committed civilians were caught in the crossfire between guerrillas and the government. In some cases the Army even targetted them. There were some massacres. It is unclear as to the precise casuse. Some argue that the Army was attempting to discourage rural Amerindian people from aiding the guerrillas. The Government as part of the peace agreements ending the war has pledged to respect and promote indigenous culture (1996). There are also some people of African origins, largely located in the coastal regions. there are small communities of garifunas (black Caribs) long the small Caribbean coast. These are another mixed group, descending from the native non-Mayan Carib peoples and rebellious black slaves from the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent. They fiercely resisted British domination and the British deported them to the Central American coast (18th century). Most of the area became modern Belize, but Guatemala also has a Caribbean coast. The Guatemalan Mayan are divided into tribal groups. These include: K'iche (9 percent), Kaqchikel (8 percent), Mam (8 percent), Q'eqchi (6 percent), and other Mayan groups (9 percent). The non-Mayan Amerindian population is very small. [2001 Census] The data should be considered only rough estimates, but probably is a good relative indicator, at least among Amerindian groups. And they do not accurately indicated the diversity of the the Amerindian population which includes many small populations. The Government recognizes 23 official Amerindian languages.

Sources

Crawford, Michael H. The Origins of Native Americans, Evidence from Anthropological Genetics (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1998).

Created: 1:32 AM 6/12/2021
Last updated: 1:32 AM 6/12/2021