Figure 1.--Here we see some Mayan children at a market in Guatemala. The clothing and carrying the bay help identify them as Amerindians. Identity in Guatemala is as much a matter of culture as ethnic bloodlines.

The ethnic structure of Guatemala is a complicated matter. Guatemala has a very large Native American / Amerindian population. (For some reason authors tend to use the term 'Amerindian' for Latin American peoples and 'Native American' for North American peoples.) Amerindians throughout much of Latin America, especially the Spanish-speaking countries are called indigenous (indígena) people. Statistical estimates vary. There are several reasons fo this. Guatemala does not have a strong statistical system and the issues involved in measuring ethnicity would challenge the most sophisticated system. In addition there are both ethnic and cultural (here language is a key element) issues involved and many Guatemalans do not destinguish between the two. For many Guatemalans how a person dresses, lifestyle, and the language he or she speaks largely defines ethnicity. And political issues are also at play. For these reasons, available stastistics probably underestimatee the Amerindian population. Many people who live in the cities and speak Spanish may no longer identify themselves as Amerindians despite their bloodlines. This is an issue in Guatemalan society and politics. Guatemala has a growing population of over 15 million people (2012). About 60 percent of the population is Mestizo--mixed European and Amerindian bloodlines. In Spanish the term Ladino is often used meaning Latins. There are a small number of people with entirely European ethnicity, but they are often included with the mestizo group because there are so few and culturally they are largely indestinguishable from most mestizos. A key element here is that they all speak Spanish. Mestizos/Ladinos consist of a wide duversity of people, including much of Guatemala's elite and middle classes to very poor urban and rural people. There is, however, a pronounced social class element. The elite groups tends to be drawn from the more ethnically European (mostly Spanush) than the majority of the mestizo group. Many have descened from the original Spanish colonists and later European immigrants. Estimates of the size of the largely Mayan Amerindian population is disputed. The most common estimate we see is about 40 percent, but there are mich higher estimastes. The difference depends to some degree on how you define ethnicity, bloodlines or culture. But there are also political issues at play. The Amerindians 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. The population is about evenly divided between uraban and rural. The population mix, howevcer, is different. The mestizo population is larger in urban areas and the meriindian popultion larger in rural areas. Most Amerindians have continued a distinct identity, living on lands and villages in the western Highlands--the birthplace of the classic Mayan civilization. Many continue to speak a Mayan language, although they may also understand Spanish to a varying degree. Many continue to practices 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.

Terminology

The ethnic structure of Guatemala is a complicated matter. Guatemala has a very large Native American / Amerindian population. (For some reason authors tend to use the term 'Amerindian' for Latin American peoples and 'Native American' for North American peoples.) Amerindians throughout much of Latin America, especially the Spanish-speaking countries are called indigenous (indígena) people.

Identity Data

Statistical estimates vary. There are several reasons fo this. Guatemala does not have a strong statistical system and the issues involved in measuring ethnicity would challenge the most sophisticated system. There are both ethnic and cultural (here language is a key element) issues involvedin determining identity. Many Guatemalans do not destinguish between the two. For many Guatemalans how a person dresses, lifestyle, and the language he or she speaks largely define identity. And political issues are also at play. For these reasons, available stastistics probably underestimatee the Amerindian population. Many people who live in the cities and speak Spanish may no longer identify themselves as Amerindians despite their bloodlines. This is an issue in Guatemalan society and politics.

Population

Guatemala has a growing population of over 15 million people (2012). About 60 percent of the population is Mestizo--mixed European and Amerindian bloodlines. In Spanish the term Ladino is often used meaning Latins. There are a small number of people with entirely European ethnicity, but they are often included with the mestizo group because there are so few and culturally they are largely indestinguishable from most mestizos. A key element here is that they all speak Spanish. Mestizos/Ladinos consist of a wide duversity of people, including much of Guatemala's elite and middle classes to very poor urban and rural people. There is, however, a pronounced social class element. The elite groups tends to be drawn from the more ethnically European (mostly Spanush) than the majority of the mestizo group. Many have descened from the original Spanish colonists and later European immigrants. Estimates of the size of the largely Mayan Amerindian population is disputed. The most common estimate we see is about 40 percent, but there are much higher estimastes. The difference depends to some degree on how you define ethnicity, bloodlines or culture. But there are also political issues at play.

Maya

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 Aorigins, 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.

Demographicsd

The population is about evenly divided between uraban and rural. The population mix, however, is different. The mestizo population is larger in urban areas and the meriindian popultion larger in rural areas. Most Amerindians have continued a distinct identity, living on lands and villages in the western Highlands--the birthplace of the classic Mayan civilization.

Sources

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

Created: 12:00 AM 9/13/2015
Last updated: 1:04 AM 6/12/2021