Ixil people

The Ixil (pronounced [iʂil]) are a Maya people located in the states of Campeche and Quintana Roo in Mexico and in the municipalities of Santa Maria Nebaj, San Gaspar Chajul, and San Juan Cotzal in the northern part of the Cuchumatanes mountains of the department of Quiché, Guatemala. These three municipalities are known as the Ixil Triangle and are the place of origin of the Ixil culture and where the majority of the population lives.

During the Guatemalan Civil War (1960-1996), the Ixil people were victims of repression and violence by the army and government of Guatemala; many forcibly to migrated to Mexico to escape the violence. Once on Mexican territory, they established refugee camps that later turned to new towns and permanent communities.