TZOTZIL INDIANS IN MAYAN LANGUAGE

TZOTZIL IS A MAYAN LANGUAGE OF 300,000 PEOPLE IN MEXICO. THEY HAVE DIALECTS . THEY CAN UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER.THESE FOLKS ARE INDIGENOUS TO CENTRAL CHIAPAS. SINCE 2000 THEY NUMBER APPROXIMATELY 300,000. CHAMULA IS THE LARGEST CITY OF TZOTZIL. PEOPLE.

THE LANGUAGE IS LIKE CHOL FROM LATE CLASSIC PERIOD. THEIR NAME MEANT "BAT PEOPLE". THEIR HOUSES ARE BUILT OF WATTLE AND DAUB OR LUMBER WITH THATCHED ROOFS. TRADITIONAL MEN'S CLOTHES ARE COTTON SHIRTS AND PANTS AND WOOLEN PONCHOS

ARCHEOLOGISTS BELIEVE THAT THE COMMON ANCESTORS OF THE CONTEMPORARY TZOTZIL PEOPLE CAME HERE IN 100 B.C. AND 300 A.D. THEY EXPORTED QUETZAL FEATHERS AND AMBER TO TENOCHITLAN. THEY PRODUCED SALT FROM WELLS AND TRADED IT THROUGH CHIAPAS AND CONTINUED TO DO SO AFTER CONQUEST. SPANISH INCURSIONS HERE ENTERED DISEASES TO THE TZOTZIL AND THEY HAD HUNGER PROBLEMS. AFTER CONQUEST THEY WERE USED AS LABORERS . THEY FINALLY REVOLTED IN 1528. BY 1863 THEIR SITUATION WORSENED AND THE LAWS ENACTED BY BENITOJUAREZ STRIPPED THE TOWN OF CORPORATION LANDS AND THEY WERE INDENTURED LABORERS ON FARMS. SINCE 1940 THEIR SENSE OF PRIDE HAS INCREASED. THEY HAD A COLLAPSE OF COFFEE PRICES AND EMPLOYMENT HAS BEEN HARD. TOURISM HAS RISEN AND THE SALE OF ARTISAN GOODS HAS REPLACED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THEY SELL THESE PRODUCTS IN SAN CRISTOBAL. THEY ILLEGALLY COME TO THE U.S. TO BREAK AWAY FROM SUBSISTENCE FARMING AND MIGRATE TO THE AREAS IN MEXICO.

THEY THEY WORSHIPED THE SUN AND OFFERED SACRIFICES TO IT. THEIR ANCESTORS DISCOVERED A STONE BAT AND CONSIDERED IT A GOD AND WORSHIPPED IT. THEY BELIEVE THE WORLD IS SQUARE WITH A CENTER NAVEL, A MOUND OF EARTH IN THE CEREMONIAL CENTER. THE WORLD RESTS ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE FOUR CORNERED GODS. THEY HAVE CEREMONIAL CIRCUITS AROUND TTHE HOUSES AND FIELDS THAT ARE PERFORMED BY THE PRIESTS. THE TZOTZIL BELIEVE EACH PRIEST HAS TWO SOULS. THEY BELIEVE IN MANYY THINGS HAVING SOULS - ANIMALS, TREES, AND OTHER WAYS THAT PEOPLE LOSE PART OF THEIR SOUL. SINCE CONQUEST THEY BELIEVE THAT THE CATHOLICS SAY THE SUN IS GOD THE FATHER AND THE MOON IS VIRGIN MARY.

WIKIPEDIA.COM
NATIVELANGUAGES.ORG