Awakatek people

The Awakatek (Awakateko) (in awakatek: Qatanum, "our people") are a indigenous Maya people located in the municiapality of Champotón, Campeche, México and in the municiaplity of Aguacatán in the department of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, place where they have their original settlement.

The word Awakateko is a reference to the town of Aguacatán, which in Nahuatl means “place of abundant avocados”, they call themselves Qatanum which translates to “our people”.

They formally settled in the southern Mexican territory during the Guatemalan Civil War in search of refuge from the violence, genocide and military persecution of which the indigenous peoples of their region were targeted. Finally, in Campeche they founded new permanent communities along with other indigenous peoples such as the Ixil and the Q'eqchi'.