Country: Guatemala

Group: Tz’utujil

Date: 4/18/2020

Team: Ray Gerard Regorgo (Lead), Gabrielle Cardenas, Tommy Chia

Located in the Western highlands of Guatemala, the Tzu’utuhil are considered one of the main Mayan groups. It is difficult to find information about the experiences of the Tzu’utuhil specifically. Instead, descriptions are usually in terms of “Indigenous Guatemalan” or “Mayan Guatemalan.” Instances such as Catholic influence during conquistador time have been documented to affect the indigenous of Guatemala, however, it was a slow conversion, unique to the situations in other Latin American countries (Guide to People of Guatemala & Guatemalan Culture, n.d.). Land disputes due to mining have led to displacement from ancestral lands (Minority Rights Group, n.d.). In 1985, Article 66 of the new constitution recognized Mayan groups and their rights to use indigenous languages and practice their culture.  However, even 10 years later the law had not been enacted, and Maya culture is still disparaged by political elites. In the courts, Maya continue to be tried in Spanish, even when they do not know the language.  Local regulations may enforce non-Maya dress codes, bilingual education has not always been implemented adequately, and Maya still do not have control of many sacred sites (Minority Rights Group, n.d.).  The data quality score for overall information about Maya in Guatemala is a 3, but specific information on the Tzu’utuhil would both be given a one. The experiences of the Tzu’utuhil are mostly assumed under the documented experience of the overall Maya indigenous population in Guatemala.

Sources

  1. Guide to People of Guatemala & Guatemalan Culture. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.anywhere.com/guatemala/travel-guide/people-and-culture
  2. Miller, M. (2018, August 11). A Look at Mayan Oppression in Guatemala. The Borgen Project. https://borgenproject.org/mayan-oppression-in-guatemala/
  3. Minority Rights Group. (n.d.). Maya. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://minorityrights.org/minorities/maya-2/