The Tzotzil are Maya. They are located in the highlands of central Chiapas, the southern-most state of Mexico. Anthropological discoveries suggest that they inhabited their present location between 100 BC and 300 AD. Anthropologists believe that they may have come from the Chuj region of Guatemala. Their language is a language belonging to the Tzeltalan Group which include Tzeltal, and Tojolab’al. There are five dialects of Tzotzil. The literacy rate for children 6 to 14 is slightly over 50%. The adult population was measured by INEGI as to their knowledge of the alphabet. Out of 168,038 adults a total of 75,764 knew the alphabet, of which 25,764 were women.

The Economy is based on agriculture. Most Tzotzil define themselves as independent agriculturists that plant their milpas with the sacred trilogy of maize beans and squashes. The women weave clothing both for their family to wear and sometimes to sell at market. Domestic animals include sheep and chickens. Some Tzotzil subgroups, such as the Chamula have had a trade market since pre-Colombian times. A new crop that has been added in the 20th century is coffee.

The typical living conditions in a Tzotzil home are fairly primitive. Most have dirt floors and walls with the bathroom facilities being outside the home. In the small Hamlets (towns) the bathroom facilities are built out of mud and they are approximately 4x4x4 with a 20” doorway (no door in most cases). The food consists of mostly corn and beans and they make tortillas out of both. They also make soup out of squashes and they regularly eat eggs. Chicken is available but not eaten on a daily basis. The clothing is weaved at home by the lady of the house and most Tzotzil traditional dresses that women wear are very colorful and look similar. The men wear pants and a shirt. The amount of Health Care available is minimal. There are no Hospitals in most of the Tzotzil’s territory, and clinics are a rare commodity. Even if there is Health Care available, most Tzotzil can not afford it. Another reason as to why there is not much health care services is because they believe in the curing power of the tribal Shamans. Most of their water comes from wells, and most homes in the large towns have electricity available to them.

The traditional housing compound consists of several domestic units. The primary domestic unit consists of a couple, their unmarried children, their married sons, their sons’ wives, and their sons’ children all sharing a single maize supply and a house altar. Tzotzil kinship is based on patrilineage that are constituted by 2 or more virolocal domestic units living in adjacent lands. One important trend is the decline of patrilineages due to the shrinking land base. The Tzotzil still prefer patrilineages but many are forced by circumstances to shift toward bylocality. The Tzotzil consider monogyny to be the moral way of life; however in some groups like the Chamula, the men have more than one wife. Children are considered a joy and important economic assets. At 10 years old the male children often go with their fathers to the fields. At 15 most men and women are full time workers whether at home or making a wage.

Their ancient religion is animistic; however, they presently practice what is known as Folk Catholicism. Folk Catholicism is a syncretistic blend of their Maya animism and Roman Catholicism mixed. The Tzotzil have imbedded their rituals into their culture to an extent that it becomes a barrier for the Gospel. To stop participating in the rituals is to stop being a member of the community. There are sometimes severe consequences to becoming a Christian.