We explain what indigenous people are and what their characteristics are. We also explain what their society, religion and relationship with the environment are like.
Natives
The indigenous people are Native people of a place and belonging to an indigenous peoplethat is, a town from which their family, culture and traditions also come. The name derives from the Latin, “inde” meaning right there and “genos” which means born.
The word “indigenous” is different from “native” which represents a person who was born in a territory but who does not maintain the traditions of his ancestors. In the case of indigenous people, it is important to highlight that their lineage has belonged to that region since before the Spanish conquest.
Indigenous peoples have suffered numerous battles throughout history, with the aim of displacing them from their lands. Despite being a minority, They maintain their pre-Hispanic customs and a political-social organization different from that proposed by the modern state.
The United Nations (UN) estimates that There are 370 million indigenous people around the worldwho inhabit 22% of the Earth’s land mass. Despite their differences, they share similar experiences and struggles.
See also: Miscegenation
Characteristics of the indigenous people
The indigenous people are characterized by certain well-defined physical featuressuch as mixed skin, black eyes, dark, straight hair and a robust build. Their clothing varies according to the type of climate in the area they live in and they usually wear clothes made from fabrics and animal skins.
They build their houses made of adobe, wood, tree leaves or straw and, depending on the geography of the area they inhabit, they can use caves to protect themselves from the intense temperatures.
Currently, There are about 7,000 indigenous languages around the worldwhich constitute complex knowledge systems and are a fundamental part of the identity of indigenous peoples and the preservation of their culture.
You may be interested in: Indigenous peoples of Mexico
Social organization of indigenous people
The social organization of the indigenous people is hierarchical. headed by a chief who leads the entire tribe and has lower-ranking advisors. The chief is usually an older adult, considered a spiritual guide and leader.
Within each community different people coexist families made up of father, mother and childrenThe father’s role is to go hunting to bring food to his family, an activity he carries out together with other adult men.
Women are in charge of maintaining the home and making clothes for the family. The children are cared for, most of the time, by the elders of the tribe.
indigenous religion
Indigenous populations They have different customs or religious beliefsHowever, they share two fundamental characteristics:
- They believe there is a “great creator” or a great spirit responsible for the creation of the Earth and who is present in all things and living beings. Most people usually represent it with the sun.
- In addition to the main god, they worship multiple lower gods or spirits whom they worship and admire. Although they call them by different names, they usually represent each god with a natural phenomenon, such as the god of rain, the sun and the wind.
It is very common for indigenous peoples to accompany their religious rituals with music and traditional dances. For this, they use decorated wooden masks and musical instruments such as the drum (made with wood, bones and animal skins) and wind instruments such as flutes (made with reeds or hollow trunks).
Relationship with the environment
The indigenous people maintain a harmonious relationship with the environmenton which their livelihood directly depends. Empirical research has shown that where indigenous peoples have control over the land, biodiversity flourishes.
The indigenous people believe that observing nature and animals can lead them to great discoveries. So much so that their medicinal practices are based on knowledge of healing plants.
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
This UN statement It was prepared on September 13, 2007 and emphasizes the right of each indigenous people to live with dignity, under their own rules, maintaining their institutions and customs.
The word “indigenous” was adopted by Aboriginal leaders in the 1970s, following the emergence of indigenous rights movements around the world. It turned out a way to generate unity and identification of communitiesbeing recognized in the political sphere.
The indigenous people of Mexico today
Currently there are around 68 indigenous towns in Mexico and the 20 most populated are:
- The Nahuas. With 2 million inhabitants distributed in the south of current Mexico City and in the Milpa Alta Delegation.
- The Mayans. With 1.5 million inhabitants distributed across the states of Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco and Chiapas.
- The Zapotecs. With 460,000 inhabitants distributed in regions of the state of Oaxaca, such as: the Sierra Zapoteca, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the Valley of Oaxaca.
- The Mixtecs. With more than 700,000 inhabitants distributed in some areas of Guerrero, Puebla and Oaxaca.
- The Otomíes. With more than 100,000 inhabitants distributed in the central zone of Mexico, in the states of Hidalgo, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Puebla, Veracruz and the State of Mexico.
- The Totonacas. With 411,000 inhabitants distributed in Veracruz and Puebla. To a lesser extent they spread to other states of the Republic.
- The Tsotsiles. With 400,000 inhabitants distributed in the state of Chiapas.
- The Tzeltals. With 380,000 inhabitants distributed in the state of Chiapas (they share many activities with the Tsotsils).
- The mazahuas. With 320,000 inhabitants distributed in the northwest of the State of Mexico and in a small region in the west of the State of Michoacán.
- The Mazatecs. With 300,000 inhabitants distributed in regions such as La Cañada, the mountainous area and the Papaloapan-Tuxtepec valley (Oaxaca).
- The huastecosWith 220,000 inhabitants distributed in some regions of Veracruz, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro and Hidalgo.
- The Choles. With 220,000 inhabitants distributed in the northwest of Chiapas.
- The Purépechas. With 200,000 inhabitants distributed in 22 municipalities in the state of Michoacán.
- The ChinantecasWith 200,000 inhabitants distributed in 14 municipalities of the state of Oaxaca.
- The mixes. With almost 150,000 inhabitants distributed in the north of the state of Oaxaca.
- The Tlapanecs. With 140,000 inhabitants distributed along the coast and in 13 municipalities in the state of Guerrero.
- The Tarahumaras. With almost 120,000 inhabitants distributed in the part of the Sierra Madre Occidental that crosses the states of Chihuahua, Durango and Sonora.
- The mayos or yoremesWith almost 90,000 inhabitants distributed in northern Sinaloa and southern Sonora.
- The Zoques. With almost 86,000 inhabitants distributed in three areas of Chiapas: the Gulf Coast, the Sierra and the Depression.
- The Chontales. With almost 80,000 inhabitants distributed in the state of Tabasco.