México is rich in indigenous culture and its legacy can be appreciated in every corner of the country.  Today, indigenous culture, traditions, and food enjoy an unprecedented appreciation and rediscovery by Mexicans and the world alike. But it hasn’t always been like this, for many centuries indigenous people had been discriminated against and made feel less than the rest.  Indigenous communities in México, and the world, still face many challenges but taking the time to understand more about their history is a step in the right direction.

When referring to indigenous people, I’m referring to the native people, the aboriginal humans of what today is México. I feel it is important to clarify since the word ‘indigenous’ has two different meanings from its Latin roots, with the other one being ‘needy’ or ‘poor’.  An indigenous people are neither needy nor poor, they are auto sufficient and rich in many aspects where our modern society is lacking.

The native peoples that inhabited what today is México created vast civilisations whose culture, traditions, and languages have endured through millennia.  Today in México there are 68 indigenous groups, each with a different dialect, traditions, culture, and physical features.  During the 2020 census, more than 12 million people in México identified themselves as indigenous and speaking one of the 11 main linguistic families.  That means that of the 68 indigenous groups, some share similarities in their languages but others cannot understand each other at all.  What amazes me is that today there are more than 350 dialects spoken in the country and all can be traced back to one of the 11 linguistic families.

The states of Chiapas and Oaxaca concentrate the vast majority of indigenous communities, and therefore they are – without a doubt – the richest states in México.

From my desire to learn more about our indigenous past, there are a few aspects that continue to amaze me to this day:

Respect and reverence for Mother Earth

It is not a coincidence that current environmental practices and research is resurfacing the knowledge and practices of the indigenous community to manage the land.  Indigenous communities around the world worship mother earth as the source and provider for life, not to mention the destination for all living beings.

Therefore, it is not surprising to have that each of the different indigenous groups have their own way of representing and worshipping Mother Earth. Beyond the reverence, there is a special connection between people and the land, not only in the way that food and medicine are provided by the land but more in the way the land is managed in a circular and sustainable manner. There is still so much to learn about how our indigenous people have created this symbiotic relationship with the land to extract the best of each other.

Community first, individual needs come later.

Indigenous communities in México, and many places around the world, have a true sense of community where the collective wellbeing is more important than the self one.  Life, rituals, traditions, and governance revolves around the community at centre and everyone has a role to play in it.  The individual concept of ‘I’ or ‘me’ do not exist in these societies and in many cases not even in their languages.  It is no the individuals who have rights, responsibilities, and obligations, but rather is the community who adopt these.  This is why indigenous communities are self-regulated and they all have different needs as individuals do in western societies.  This is why the western model does not fit into indigenous people and there is always a preference towards self-representation and regulation as a community.

It is not surprising to see that indigenous people understand better the concept of

we are stronger together

Creating and sharing a unique gastronomy

With so many indigenous groups around the country, it is not surprising to see how Mexican gastronomy is vast in ingredients, methods of preparation, and regional cuisine. With Mexican gastronomy taking over the entire world, regional cuisines are now the next horizon of exploration for innovative and unique flavours. Corn is the cornerstone for most indigenous groups in México, but that is where the similitudes start and end.  The Mayans have their habaneros and bitter limes, the Totonacas have vanilla, and like that every group has something special.

Today, the largest indigenous groups, in population and impact, are: