History

500 years ago, the Mayas Akateka were living in a place named Tenam, which is 15 km from the municipality San Miguel Acatan (Huehuetenango). There place was destroyed by a catastrophe natural and only 3 families survived. They moved to K'utatay, situated 2 km of the municipality of San Rafael La Independencia.

Later, because of the cold and natural problems, they moved to Paykonob' where they settled down for a while and the community grew up to give birth to a new generation of Akateka who finally moved back to San Miguel Acatan.

Numbers

• 39 370 persons speak the language
• They are living in the north west of Guatemala, in the departments of Huehuetenango and more precisely in the municipalities of San Miguel Acatan and San Sebastian Coatan.

Vision of the world and the life

According to the community, the human and the nature has a constant relation. They respect the plants and the animals, because they have the same right to live as the humans.

The Akateka is always looking for a direct relation with the environment, but not like a feeling of possession or ownership, but like the integration of the person in the community he was born in.

The pottery

Few towns are realizing this type of artesania. It's mainly made by hand. Large earthen jars, stew, jars, and plates are made. It takes about 2 days to do a jar.

Houses

Before mostof the houses were made of sun-dry bricks and the roof of manil tiles. The manil is made of wood. Now most of the houses have sun dry bricks walls and roof. The bricks are made with mud and wood moulded and dried by the sun.

They cook the food on a bonefire or fire, which is a small construction of bricks (poyo).

As part of the traditional life of the community, there is a Tamascal (bath) which is a small house used to realized therapeutic bath. The process to start a bath inside the Tamascal is to light a small fire between the rocks. The fire go out later and the Tamscal is cleaned. Then is bought water to put regularly on the rocks to create the vapour. This is the traditional bath of the community which is used every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

Economy

- agriculture: the products cultivated are corn, beans, but too coffee, chili, oignon, and tomatoes.

- Baker's shop: In many communities Akateka, they are baking their own bred named Sheca or Tiriw.