Zoque people
 Map of Zoque language speakers in southeastern Mexico | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 41,609 (2000) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Southern Mexico (Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Tabasco) | |
| Languages | |
| Zoque languages | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Mixe |
The Zoque are an
, also called Zoque, which has several branches and dialects.The Zoque consists of 41,609 people, according to the 2000 census.
In the
The Spanish conquest of the Zoque lands commenced in 1523, under the leadership of Luis Marin. The Zoque were parceled out among the Spanish settlers, and they endured forced labor and were obliged to pay high tribute. Diseases, exploitation, and the miserable conditions under which they lived contributed to a significant decrease in their numbers.
The situation of the Zoque did not improve with Mexican independence, since they continued to be exploited by the
History
Pre-colonial period
In the pre-
Colonial period
In 1494, the Zoque were invaded and defeated by the Aztecs, during the reign of Āhuitzotl, and forced to pay tribute. The Spanish conquest of the Zoque lands commenced in 1523, under the leadership of Luis Marin. The Zoque were parceled out amongst the settlers, where they endured forced labor and were obliged to pay high tribute. Diseases, exploitation and the miserable conditions under which they lived contributed to a significant decrease in their numbers.[2][3]
Contemporary culture
White-rimmed black pottery is characteristic of the Zoque people.[4]
The Zoque traditional dress is worn almost exclusively by women and on special occasions. Some elderly men in remote communities wear white cotton shirts. Women traditionally wear short-sleeved white blouses, with colorfully embroidered open necklines, and long poplin skirts in various colors. More recently, they wear knee-length dresses in various bright colors with white lacy trims. Until recently, it was customary for married women to undress the upper half of the body while they worked in the heat. Younger generations of women have become more timid about exposing their breasts.
Their houses are mainly rectangular, with one or two rooms. Traditionally the walls were made of adobe, or mud bricks, whitewashed inside and out, and the houses had earthen floors and roofs consisting of four sloping sides of tile or thatch. More recently, they are constructed with concrete blocks, cemented floors, and corrugated iron roofs. The kitchen is usually a separate structure from the main house.
As with other groups,
The Zoque also work in the construction industry in the cities.
See also
- Chimalapas territory conflict
- Indigenous people of Oaxaca
References
This article draws heavily on the corresponding article in the Spanish-language Wikipedia, which was accessed in the version of 19 June 2006.
- ^ According to the Mexican Commission for Indigenous Development, the Zoque number 86,569 [1].
- ^ Collier, George; Quaratiello, Elizabeth (2005). Basta!: Land and the Zapatista Rebellion in Chiapas. Oakland, CA: Food First Books. p. 19.
- ^ Zeitlin, Judith (2005). Cultural Politics in Colonial Tehuantepec: Community and State Among the Isthmus Zapotec, 1500–1750. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. p. 191.
- ^ Malmström, Vincent (1985). "The Origins of Civilization in Meso-America: A Geographic Perspective". Yearbook. Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers. 11: 25.
| More than 100,000 people | ||
|---|---|---|
| 20,000 – 100,000 people | ||
| 1,000 – 20,000 people | ||
| Less than 1,000 people | ||
