10 characteristics of the People

For years, the Xinka people were made invisible. In history books, in official speeches, even on maps. But there they are, standing. Resilient. Like a whisper that turns into a scream. Who are the Xinka? What makes them unique? Why does the world deserve to know them?

I traveled to the southeast of Guatemala, among volcanoes, coffee plantations and red dirt roads, to understand a little more about this native nation that, although many believed extinct, is still alive in its language, its worldview and its struggle.

Next, 10 fundamental characteristics of the Xinka people, told with the respect that an ancient culture deserves.

1. 🌄 They are one of the oldest indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica

Before the Mayans, before the Aztecs, The Xinka already inhabited the territory we know today as Guatemala and part of El Salvador.. Its presence dates back, according to some researchers, to more than 2000 years ago. Did you know?

It's not just about seniority. It is a matter of deep roots. Of a history that was woven outside the great Mesoamerican empires, but that was equally rich, complex, and dignified.

2. 🗣️ They have their own language... and almost lost

He xinka It is not a variant of Mayan or Nahuatl. It is a unique language. A linguistic isolate, as it is called in academic jargon. That means that It doesn't look like any other language..

Today, fewer than 10 native speakers remain. And yes, it hurts to write that number. But there is hope: for years, communities and linguists have been working together to revitalize it. The voices of the elderly are being recorded, dictionaries are being written, words are being taught in schools. Like someone who collects embers before they go out.

3. 🏔️ Its territory is full of volcanoes and memories

The Xinka people live mainly in the Guatemalan departments of Santa Rosa, Jutiapa, Jalapa and part of EscuintlaIt's no coincidence that many of these territories are disputed by mining projects, hydroelectric dams, and monoculture plantations.

The land is not just soil. It is mother, it is memory, it is identity. And they know it.

That's why they defend their territory firmly.They have done so at the cost of threats, criminalization, and violence. But they continue. Because defending their territory, in the words of a Xinka leader I interviewed, "is defending life."

4. 🧶 Their textile culture is simple... but powerful

Unlike other indigenous peoples of the region, the Xinka are not known for colorful embroidery or ornate traditional costumes.Their clothing has been more sober, more utilitarian, linked to work in the fields.

But make no mistake. This sobriety does not imply a lack of identity. On the contrary. There is also beauty in simplicity. And a strong symbolic charge. Today, new generations are beginning to create garments that recover ancestral elements, such as backstrap loom weaving or prints with natural dyes.

5. 🔮 They preserve a worldview deeply connected to nature

For the Xinka people, everything is connected.The trees, the water, the animals, the stars. Everything has spirit. Everything has energy.

Their spiritual practices, although persecuted for centuries by the colony and later by the church, live on in rituals, on altars, in prayers in their language.They ask the earth for permission before planting. They give thanks to the sun and the moon. They honor their grandparents. Isn't there something profoundly wise in that?

6. 🏹 Their resistance has been constant (and silent)

The Xinka do not appear in the great narratives of Indigenous wars. There are no memorials in their name. But they have resisted for centuries..

First, to the Spanish invasion. Then, to state marginalization. And more recently, to the extractive model that threatens their territory. In 2013, they led a community referendum against a silver mine in their territory. The result was clear: absolute rejection.But the government didn't listen.

Even so, they continue to fight. Without weapons. With words, with marches, with trials. With dignity.

7. 🎓 They reclaim their identity through education

Can you imagine going to school and being taught that your people "no longer exist"? That happened to more than one Xinka generation. But that is changing.

Today, there are bilingual educational programs, Xinka teaching materials are being created, and the recognition of the Xinka people as a collective subject of rights is being promoted.Because you cannot love what you don't know. And Xinka children are beginning to learn, to remember, to be proud.

8. 🧑‍🌾 Agriculture is an essential part of their life

Corn, beans, squash, chili. Seeds that nourish not only the body, but the soul.The milpa is not just an agricultural technique. It's a way of life.

The Xinka people have maintained their traditional agroecological practices, which respect the cycles of the earth. It is not uncommon for some of their greatest knowledge to be in the hands of women and elders, who understand the seasons, the rains, and medicinal plants.

In a world moving toward industrialization at all costs, they remind us that another way of life is possible.

9. 📜 They demand political and legal recognition

Although the Guatemalan Constitution recognizes the existence of indigenous peoples, the Xinka people have historically been excluded from public policies, censuses, and laws.

Today, they are organized in a Xinka Parliament that seeks to represent their interests, demand justice, and actively participate in national decisions. They don't want handouts. They want a voice. They want respect. And they're earning it.

10. 🌱 They are guardians of hope

To say that a people has almost disappeared... but continues to fight, is saying a lot. The Xinka people are a testament to silent resistance.Of those cultures that don't make headlines, but transform the world from the ground up.

They are not the past. They are the present. And, hopefully, they will be the future.

One last reflection 📝

At a time when many cultures are fighting to resist erasure, getting to know the Xinka people is an act of justice. It means listening to a story that was silenced. It means looking inward, deeper, more essential.

It's not enough to admire them from afar. We must support them, make them visible, and recognize them.Because their struggle is not just theirs. It belongs to all of us who believe in a more just, more diverse, and more humane world.

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