Chamula

San Juan Chamula on the map of Mexico

San Juan Chamula ( also briefly Chamula ) is a town in the Mexican state of Chiapas, located in the center of the state near the city of San Cristóbal de las Casas. San Juan Chamula is the administrative seat of the municipality of Chamula and with about 3,300 inhabitants at the same time the biggest town of the municipios.

San Juan Chamula is located at 2,260 m above sea level. inst.

Economy

The main economic activities are subsistence agriculture and, more recently, the production of handicrafts for sale to tourists.

Tzotzil culture

The people of Chamula belong to the tribe of the Tzotzil (indigenous people and descendants of the Maya ). Almost all speak the indigenous Tzotzil language, and many do not speak Spanish. According to the census of 2010 in the municipality of 69 475 of 69 796 spoke persons from 3 years, ie 99.54 %, the indigenous language. 41 736 persons or 59.80 % spoke Spanish. Of all the 15,853 children in Chamula 3-9 years 15,699 or 99.03 % spoke their indigenous language, 14,242 or 89.84 % of these children did not speak Spanish.

The Tzotzil of Chamula are known for their traditional culture and religion strictly to defend against external influences: who, owing to the frequent missionary activities of the Jehovah's Witness convert, for example, the community must leave. Your syncretic faith includes the worship of Christian saints as well as traditional rituals in which, for example, Diseases to be cured. A shaman or a shaman summons by belching harmful spirits (demons ) that have infected a patient after the performance of the Indians to go to a live chicken, which is then killed. These ceremonies take place daily in the Roman Catholic parish church, this is the patron saint John the Baptist geweiht.Dabei is traditionally a home-distilled sugarcane liquor called Posch drunk to get into a frenzy. In recent times also carbonated soft drinks such as Coca -Cola, Sprite and Fanta are used in these ceremonies, these facilitate the shaman burping.

The church is one of the few remaining examples of the traditional church interiors of the indigenous population. There are no pews, the floor is covered with pine needles and twigs and in various places find private ceremonies. Tourists can visit the church against admission.

Chamula and the indigenous revolution

1867 was from the village of Chamula due to the suppression of a religious movement an indigenous rebellion that could be until 1870 dejected.

The 1994 by guerrilla movement, the EZLN launched and victorious indigenous revolution began in Chamula began. Since then Chamula is managed independently.