The
majority of the indigenous population is
concentrated in the central and southern states.
According to the CDI, the states with the greatest
percentage of indigenous population as of 2015 are:
Oaxaca, 65.73%
Yucatán, 65.40%
Campeche, 44.54%
Quintana Roo, 44.44%
Hidalgo, 36.21%
Chiapas, 36.15%
Puebla, 35.28%
Guerrero, 33.92%
Veracruz, 29.25%
Morelos, 28.11%
Michoacán, 27.69%
Tabasco, 25.77%
Tlaxcala, 25.24%
San Luis Potosí, 23.20%
Nayarit, 22.18%
Colima, 20.43%
Querétaro, 19.17%
Sonora, 17.83%
State of Mexico, 17.00%
Baja California Sur, 14.47%
Sinaloa, 12.83%
Aguascalientes, 11.69%
Chihuahua, 11.28%
Jalisco, 11.12%
Guanajuato, 9.13%
Distrito Federal, 8.80%
Baja California, 8.54%
Durango, 7.94%
Zacatecas, 7.61%
Coahuila, 6.93%
Nuevo León, 6.88%
Tamaulipas, 6.30%
The five states with the largest indigenous-language-speaking populations are:
Oaxaca, with 1,165,186
indigenous language speakers, accounting for 34.2% of
the state's population.
Chiapas, with 1,141,499 indigenous language speakers,
accounting for 27.2% of the state's population.
Veracruz, with 644,559 indigenous language speakers,
accounting for 9.4% the state's population.
Puebla, with 601,680 indigenous language speakers,
accounting for 11.7% of the state's population.
Yucatán, with 537,516 indigenous language speakers,
accounting for 30.3% of the state's population.
Native Nations/Languages of Mexico
Amuzgo
(Oaxaca)
Aztecs
Cakchiquel
Caxcan
Chatino
Chichi-Pooloca
Chichimeco
Jonaz
Chinanteco
Chol
Chontal
(de
Tabasco)
Chuj
Cochimi
Cora
Cucapa
Cuicateca
Guarijio
Huasteco
Huave
Huichol
Ixcateco
Ixil
Jacalteco
Kekchí
Kikapu
(Mexican
Kickapoo
of
northern Coahuila state)
The Viejito ( old mans ) dance
is a mock of the Spanish overlords.
It is performed all over the state of Michoacan during
festivals and other observances.
Kiliwa
Kumiai
(Kumeyaay)
Lacandon
Lipan
Apache
north
of
Chihuahua
Mame
Matlatzinca
Mayan
(Mayan
Elders)
Mayo
Mazahua
Mixe
(words)
Mixteca
Motozintleco
Nahua
(Festival)
Olmec
Opata
(Northwestern
Sonora)
Otomi
(Festival)
Paipai
(akwa'ala)
Pame
Papago
Pimas
Popoloca
Popoluca
Purepecha
(Tarasco)
Seri
Tarahumara
Tepehua
(Fire Dance)
Tepehuano
Tequistlateco
(Chontal
de
Oaxaca)
Tlapaneco
Tojolabal
Toltec
Totonaco
Trique
Tzeltal
Tzotzil
Yaqui
Zapoteco
Zoque
The indigenous peoples in Mexico have the right of free
determination under the second article of the
constitution.
According to this article the indigenous peoples are
granted:
the right to decide the internal forms of social,
economic, political, and cultural organization;
the right to apply their own normative systems of
regulation as long as human rights and gender equality
are respected;
the right to preserve and enrich their languages and
cultures;
the right to elect representatives before the municipal
council where their territories are located.
The 62 Mexican living languages
Languages
|
Number of
speakers |
Náhuatl | 2,563,000 |
Maya | 1,490,000 |
Zapoteco or Diidzaj | 785,000 |
Mixteco or ñuu savi | 764,000 |
Otomí or ñahñu | 566,000 |
Tzeltal or k'op | 547,000 |
Tzotzil or batzil k'op | 514,000 |
Totonaca or tachihuiin |
410,000 |
Mazateco or ha shuta enima | 339,000 |
Chol | 274,000 |
Mazahua or jñatio | 254,000 |
Huasteco or tének | 247,000 |
Chinanteco or tsa jujmi | 224,000 |
Purépecha or tarasco | 204,000 |
Mixe or ayook | 188,000 |
Tlapaneco or mepha | 146,000 |
Tarahumara or rarámuri | 122,000 |
Zoque u o'de püt | 88,000 |
Mayo or yoreme | 78,000 |
Tojolabal or tojolwinik otik | 74,000 |
Chontal de Tabasco or yokot'an | 72,000 |
Popoluca | 69,000 |
Chatino or cha'cña | 66,000 |
Amuzgo or tzañcue | 63,000 |
Huichol or wirrárica | 55,000 |
Tepehuán u o'dam | 44,000 |
Triqui or driki | 36,000 |
Popoloca | 28,000 |
Cora or naayeri | 27,000 |
Kanjobal | 27,000 |
Yaqui or yoreme | 25,000 |
Cuicateco or nduudu yu | 24,000 |
Mame or qyool | 24,000 |
Huave or mero ikooc | 23,000 |
Tepehua or hamasipini | 17,000 |
Pame or xigüe | 14,000 |
Chontal de Oaxaca or slijuala xanuk | 13,000 |
Chuj | 3,900 |
Chichimeca jonaz or uza | 3,100 |
Guarijío or varojío | 3,000 |
Matlatzinca or botuná | 1,800 |
Kekchí | 1,700 |
Chocholteca or chocho | 1,600 |
Pima u otam | 1,600 |
Jacalteco or abxubal | 1,300 |
Ocuilteco or tlahuica | 1,100 |
Seri or konkaak | 910 |
Quiché | 640 |
Ixcateco |
620 |
Cakchiquel | 610 |
Kikapú or kikapoa | 580 |
Motozintleco or mochó | 500 |
Paipai or akwa'ala | 410 |
Kumiai or kamia | 360 |
Ixil | 310 |
Pápago or tono ooh'tam | 270 |
Cucapá | 260 |
Cochimí | 240 |
Lacandón or hach t'an | 130 |
Kiliwa or k'olew | 80 |
Aguacateco | 60 |
Teco | 50 |
In the late twentieth century there has been a push for
indigenous rights and a recognition of indigenous
cultural identity.
According to the constitutional reform of 2001, the
following rights of indigenous peoples are recognized:
acknowledgement as indigenous communities, right to
self-ascription, and the application of their own
regulatory systems
preservation of their cultural identity, land,
consultation and participation
access to the jurisdiction to the state and to
development
recognition of indigenous peoples and communities as
subject of public law
self-determination and self-autonomy
remunicipalization for the advancement of indigenous
communities
administer own forms of communication and media
Return to Indigenous Peoples' Literature
Compiled by: Glenn
Welker
ghwelker@gmx.com
This site has been accessed 10,000,000 times since February 8, 1996.