Indigenous People Mexico
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04 Aug 2011

The videos provide a variety of information concerning the people, their environment, and their culture as well as how you can become involved in reaching the peoples Indigenous Peoples of Mexico for Christ. A brief summary of each of the chapters is provided below.

The Indigenous People of Mexico: One Story for All

Filmed 2004-2006

The indigenous people … those who lived in Mexico before the arrival of the Spanish colonists … make up about 10% of the country’s population. There are 62 officially recognized indigenous tribal groups. Among these people, over 300 dialects and languages are spoken. The clothes they wear, the language they speak, the place they live and their traditional worship practices distinguish one group from another. Histoira Unica, … the one story concept, … makes use of the story-telling skills of the various indigenous people groups. The stories are taught in a manner that even those who are unable to read can repeat them to their family, their friends and others who share a common language and cultural bond. These stories explain who Jesus Christ is but, … still, ... it is difficult to commit their lives to Jesus Christ because of their traditional beliefs.

Note: Chapters marked HD are available as High definition video. Find out more.

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Histoira Unica: One Story for All HD 7:47 The indigenous people, those who lived in Mexico before the arrival of the Spanish colonists, make up about 10% of Mexico's population. There are 62 officially recognized indigenous tribal groups. Among these people, over 300 dialects and languages are spoken. The clothes they wear, the language they speak, the place they live and their traditional worship practices distinguish one group from another.

Santo Niño HD 4:00 Each year on February the second, people from all over the country dress up their special dolls and bring them to the priest. To an outsider, it appears that those entering the church are simply carrying a large well-dressed doll, but … to the participants … it is Santo Niño, the Holy Child. As representations of the Baby Jesus, the dolls are brought up to the front of the church and placed on the altar where the priest bestows a special blessing on each. They are thought to impart protection, health and good fortune to the owner and to the household. Friends and family come to pray to a sanctified doll and the owner is paid for the privilege.

The Queen of Mexico 5:05 The Virgin of Guadalupe is the object of the faith and adoration of most of the people of Mexico as well as other Latin American countries. Her image is everywhere; … in roadside shrines, … small and large statues along the road, … an emblem on a truck, … proudly displayed on a t-shirt, and … as the central monument in many Catholic churches.

Workers from the Hills 12:02 The Mazateco People, about 350,000 in all, call themselves “workers from the hills, humble, people of custom". The homeland of the Mazateco People is a beautiful but a difficult place to live and difficult to visit. Yet, it is a place that you will enjoy while walking among these people that know little of the outside world.

LORD, Give Us These Mountains 8:27 The homeland of the Mazateco People is in the rugged Sierra Madres of southern Mexico. Catholic churches abound in this area. Some of these churches are centuries old but all are the town’s central focus. Inside homes, as well as in the churches, religious symbolism is pervasive. Small churches are reaching out into the homes and communities of these mountains with the Good News of Jesus. The hope for the future of the Mazatecos of today lies with the few dedicated people who have set a goal of having a church with trained leaders in every village by the year 2010.

The Mixteco People 8:36 The rugged Mixteca Mountains of southern Mexico is the birthplace of a great and noble people. Even before the Mayans … before the Aztecs, there were the Mixteco People. The Mixteco People migrated throughout the Americas but most live in southern Mexico mainly in the State of Oaxaca. Today, the Mixteco population totals about 400,000.

Mixteca Baja 5:25 The Mixteca Baja People are located in the lowlands and foothills of the Sierra Madre about 150 miles southwest of Mexico City in the State of Oaxaca. There are many small towns and cities scattered throughout these hills, valleys, and plains. Generations have come and gone but little has changed in the lives of the Mixteca Baja.

Esquela de Misiones 3:15 Established in 2001, the school of missions is held quarterly in different parts of the country. Today classes are being held in the town of Tehuacan. This is one of four theological training schools located among the indigenous people of Mexico in Chiapas, Nayarit and the Sierra Mazateco.

The Mixteco Way - Corn: A Gift From The Gods HD 5:47 The Mixteco People believe that corn is the basis of all physical life. The divine relationship between the original people of Mexico and that of corn is nowhere more evident than among the Mixtecos who inhabit the mountains and valleys of southwest Mexico in the State of Guerrero.

The Nahuatl People 7:38 Fifty years before Columbus discovered America, the Aztec Empire had become the new Mexican nation. In the 1500’s, the Spanish destroyed the Aztec Empire. Today, there is a remnant of about 2-1/2 million descendents of the Aztec scattered throughout central and southern Mexico but they are no longer called Aztec. Instead, they are called “speakers of Nahuatl” or simply “the Nahuatl”. There are over 25 dialects of Nahuatl spoken. Some live in the lowlands tending large irrigated farms while others work the soil along the steep mountain slopes.

The Burro HD 4:48 The people now known as the Nahuatl Guerrero and the burro depend upon each other for their survival. The burro is an essential part of life in the southwestern Mexican State of Guerrero. This is a place where the roads are few, the mountains slopes are steep, and the green valleys are often only in the distance.

We Are Me’phaa – NOT Tlapaneco HD 9:10 The city of Tlapa is in the state of Guerreo. A’phaa, the place we once called home, was located here. The Aztecs destroyed our life and our people were nearly all killed. The Aztecs, called us “Tlapaneco” which means, “dirty faced ones” in the Aztec language. Today few of the 60,000 residents are Me’phaa.

Be’ena’a ..."The People" 9:20 “The People”, now known as Zapotecs, have lived in these mountains for more than three thousand years. In the city of Oaxaca, with a population of four million people, over 60% are Zapotecs. For the most part, the Zapotecs living in and around Oaxaca have become a part of the Mexican culture but there are many who never venture far from their homes in the mountains. This is where the Be’ena’a still live. Their life style has changed little over the centuries. Many speak only Zapotec. In the State of Oaxaca, there are approximately 150,000 cultural Zapotecos speaking many different Zapotec dialects.

Remaking Chiapas 10:05 This area has been remade many times over the centuries. It was here in southern Mexico and Central America that the Mayan culture once flourished. Today, in the southern State of Chiapas, there are about 750,000 indigenous people. For them … as it was for their ancestors, … the change from power and prestige to poverty is painful

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