Amuzgo people

The Amuzgo or Amochco is an indigenous ethnic group that lives in the present-day states of Oaxaca and Guerrero in Mexico. The language spoken by these 33 is also called Amuzgo. 294 speakers. The Amuzgo language belongs to the Otomanguean group, Savizaa trunk, Mixtec family. "Amuzgo" means "place where there are sweets or candies".

Name

They are called, either with the same name of their language, Amuzgo, or with their own particular name corresponding to the town or region: for example, in San Pedro Amuzgos they call themselves Tzjon Non which translates as "people of yarn, soft thread or wick"; in Santa María Ipalapa they call themselves Tzo'tyio which is linked to the Camarón river.

Etymology

In the Nahuatl language, the word amuzgo comes from amoxco, which means “place of books”, from the roots amox- (books) and - co (locative of place). This denomination is due to the fact that the main town of this ethnic group in pre-Hispanic times served as the administrative and religious head of the area, where everything that happened around it was recorded in writing.

Culture

Textile design made with waist loom.

Although the Amuzgo language is losing ground to Spanish —since many Amuzgos emigrate to Mexico City or to the north from a very young age—, it continues to be very current and strong depending on the region, micro-region, community, agency, or ranch of the Amuzgo territory. In the program Window to my community a series of six chapters appeared on the lives of girls and boys in this community: "Cooking with my mom", "My Amuzgo town", "Dipping in the river", "Double the milpa that here comes the water", "My huipil amuzgo" and "La teja".

Their main sources of income are agriculture, livestock, and the waist loom, which is operated by the women. Men usually dedicate themselves more to the field.

This population settles almost with their native language, which is almost being lost because people hardly practice it anymore.

This lack of practice in the language has meant that people can no longer communicate in the way they used to, making it more difficult for them to understand.

Populations

• Zacualpan (Guerrero). This is one of the first light villages that were founded in the Costa Chica region of Guerrero. For a long time this town suffered certain emigrations from its inhabitants and was forgotten. However, this people are not documented until our day, the only thing that is preserved and preserved is the oral tradition of being the "mother of the Amuzga culture", although many of the Amuzgos peoples do not accept to be part of it, since this is accounted for by the inhabitants of this community who have had very strong discussions with their children peoples, it is also known that here the first Amuzgos indigenous people were born and migrated today to merge them. Currently Zacualpan is considered the heart of all the amuze peoples of Guerrero and Oaxaca.
• Ometepec
• Quetzalapa
• Cochoapa: It is a village that is 3 km away. 50% of the population speaks amuzgo.
• Barranca Honda Summit
• Arroyo Barranca Honda
• Plan Juste
• Earth
• Arroyo Zapote
• Rancho San Francisco
• Cerro Pájaro
• Tlacoachistlahuaca
• Huehuetonoc
• Xochistlahuaca
• Cozoyoapan
• Green Cross (Guerrero)
• Huixtepec: It is a name composed of two words of the Nahuatl, wixtletlwhich means "spina" and tepetl, which means "zero", of these two words literally translates the name "SPIVER CRY." First-this name is from the highest hill of the place, Second-this name becomes the name of the village "Huixtepec" Spanish word. The inhabitants of this population are 80% amuzgo speakers and 20% Spanish speaking. The total number of inhabitants of this population is 3328, not including those of 1-5 years, according to the 2005-INEGI census.
• The Pass Cuahulote
• Huajintepec

Speakers of Amuzgo in Oaxaca are concentrated in the municipalities of San Pedro Amuzgos and Santa María Ipalapa, totaling 4,813 speakers together. The state of Guerrero is where the largest number of speakers are concentrated, estimated at 37,779 (according to the 2005 census).