Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Mixe

SOURCE

VIDES International

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Mixe

Language Profile

TOTAL SPEAKERS

According to the XII General Census of Population and Housing (2000), there were 118,924 speakers of Mixe in the country, of whom 105,443 lived in the state of Oaxaca.

USAGE BY COUNTRY (OFFICIAL LANGUAGE)

The Mixe region is in the northeast of the state of Oaxaca. In the north it borders the states of Veracruz and Choapam and in the northwest the ex-districts of Villa Alta. In the south it borders Yautepec and in the south east Juchitán and Tehuantepec. The territory covers a total area of 4668.55 km2. The region has a total of 19 municipalities divided into 3 zones: the high zone, which consists of Tlahuitoltepec, Ayutla, Cacalotepec, Tepantlali, Tepuxtepec, Totontepec, Tamazulapam and Mixistlán; the middle zone, Ocotepec, Atitlán, Alotepec, Juquila Mixes Camotlán, Zacatepec, Cotzocón, Ouetzaltepec and lxcuintepec; and the low zone, Mazatlán and Guchicovi.

BACKGROUND

The Mixe belong to the Mixe-Zoque family. Within the Ayuuk jä'äy there are dialectal differences, yet each group believes that it is they who speak the language correctly. The Mixe language is used both socially and in community assemblies.