Awakatek people

Awakatek (Awakateko)
Qatanum

Qatanum
Total population
11,068
Regions with significant populations
Guatemala	Huehuetenango
Mexico	Chiapas, Campeche
Languages
Awakatek, Spanish
Religion
Catholic, Evangelicalist, Maya religion
Related ethnic groups
Ixil

The Awakatek (Awakateko) (in awakatek: Qatanum, "our people") are a indigenous Maya people located in the municiapality of Champotón, Campeche, México and in the municiaplity of Aguacatán in the department of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, place where they have their original settlement.

The word Awakateko is a reference to the town of Aguacatán, which in Nahuatl means “place of abundant avocados”, they call themselves Qatanum which translates to “our people”.

They formally settled in the southern Mexican territory during the Guatemalan Civil War in search of refuge from the violence, genocide and military persecution of which the indigenous peoples of their region were targeted. Finally, in Campeche they founded new permanent communities along with other indigenous peoples such as the Ixil and the Q'eqchi'.

Language

Their native Awakatek language (or qyool, "our language") is a Mayan language from the Mamean branch closely related to the ixil language. It is currently at very high risk of disappearance.

Location

The Awakatek of Mexico are located in the state of Campeche in three communities in the municipality of Champotón; Maya Tecún, Maya Tecún II and Santo Domingo Kesté, there is also Awakatek population in the state of Chiapas.

In Guatemala they live in municipality of Aguacatán, located in the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes region of the department of Huehuetenango.

Religion

Their religion is mostly Catholicism mixed with native elements related to natural features, such as mountains, hills, water, clouds and rivers. Their patron saint is the Virgen de la Encarnación.

Economy

According to data from the Federal Telecommunications Institute of Mexico, 60% of the Awakatek population in Mexico has a cell phone while 53.85% are at a very low level of marginalization, 15.38% at medium and 7.69% at high.

References

• Gordon Raymond G., Jr. (2005). Ethnologue: Languages of the World (online version) (Fifteenth ed.). Dallas, TX: SIL International. ISBN 1-55671-159-X. OCLC 60338097. Archived from the original on 2 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
• "XI Censo Nacional de Población y VI de Habitación (Censo 2002) - Pertenencia de grupo étnico". Instituto Nacional de Estadística. 2002. Archived from the original on 5 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-27.