Aguacatenango: A Tzeltal Mayan-Speaking Community in Chiapas, Mexico

AGUACATENANGO

CHIAPAS, MEXICO

Aguacatenango is a Tzeltal Mayan-speaking community of over 3000 inhabitants located in the municipio of Venustiano Carranza in southeastern Chiapas. The community appears in historical records as early as 1611. This page is dedicated to documenting online resources and published materials pertaining to the community, and several recent photos of the community are also included. If you have additional material you wish to suggest for this page, please contact me!

Maps of Chiapas

Map of Colonial Chiapas

Map of Indigenous Communities in Highland Chiapas

Recent Election Results from Aguacatenango (July 2, 2000)
Total Votes Cast: 536

PARTY	VOTES CAST
PRI	334
Alianza por México	91
Alianza por el Cambio	27
Other (PCD, PARM, DSPPN)	10
Disqualified Votes	74
Total Valid Votes Cast	462
Registered Voters	1395
Abstaining	859

Current Online Resources on Aguacatenango

Aguacatenango Artisan Information

Mexiculture Tour Agency: Aguacatenango weaving demonstration
Illustrious Playwright from Aguacatenango: Isabel Juárez Espinosa
Founding Member of the Mayan Women's Cooperative: La Fomma
Her Book: "Cuentos y Teatro Tzeltales"
Listing in NAWPA directory
Newspaper Articles on Aguacatenango Catholic/Protestant Conflict

Beginning in 1992, tensions between Catholics and Protestants in Aguacatenango became violent (on both sides), resulting in the expulsion of Protestant members of the communities. In 1996, the expelled Protestants founded a new community across the highway from Aguacatenango, which they named "Monte de los Olivos" - resulting again in violent conflict and the death of several Catholics from Aguacatenango. Below are some of the published articles on this event:

La Jornada 25 Nov 1996: "Chocan evangélicos y católicos en Venustiano Carranza; un muerto"

La Jornada, 26 Nov 1996: "Sigue la tensión entre evangélicos y católicos en Venustiano Carranza"

La Jornada, 26 Nov 1996, photos

The Protestant Perspective (CHRISTIAN NETWORK)

The Protestant Perspective(CEDECH): Monte de los Olivos

Bibliography of Some of the Published Materials Pertaining to Aguacatenango

Day, Michelle. (1996). The Management of Reproduction and the Politics of Midwifery Practice in a Tzeltal (Mayan) Speaking Community. Masters Thesis. Department of Anthroplogy: University of Chicago. PDF Download

Deal, Michael. (1984). Pottery Ethnoarchaeology Among the Tzeltal Maya. Ph.D. Thesis. Department of Archaeology: Simon Fraser University.

Esponda Jimeno, V. M. (1994). La Organización Social de los Tzeltales. Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico, Gobierno del Estado de Chiapas.

García-Bárcena, J. (1982). El precerámico de Aguacatenango, Chiapas, México. México, D. F., Instituto Nacional de Anthropología e Historia.

Guevara Sanchez, Arturo. (1981). Los Talleres Liticos de Aguacatenango, Chiapas. Mexico: SEP, INAH.

Juárez Espinosa, I. (1994). Cuentos y Teatro Tzeltales (A'yejetik sok Tajimal K'op). Mexico, Editorial Diana.

Kaufman, T. (1971). Tzeltal Phonology and Morphology. Berkeley, University of California Press.

McQuown, N. A. (1958). "Measures of Dialect-Distance in Tzeltal-Tzotzil." Man-in-Nature Project, University of Chicago.

Metzger, W. (1964). Interpretations of Drinking Performaces in Aguacatenango. Ph.D. Thesis. Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago.

Stubblefield, Phillip. (1961). Medical Beliefs and Practices, and Disease Terminology in a Tzeltal Village. Harvard University: Summer Field Report.

Photos:

View of Aguacatenango from the highway. Women are fishing in the lake.

©1996 Michelle Day

On September 7th and 8th, Aguacatenango celebrates the fiesta of its town saint, the Virgin of Nativity.

Carnival!

Mayordomo Initiation Ceremony, September, 1999

Mayordomos, 1999 - 2000

Back to Michelle Day's Home Web Page