Tajumulco Mam in Guatemala

The Tajumulco Mam have only been reported in Guatemala
Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Mam are modern day Mayan Indians who live in southwestern Guatemala and parts of southern Mexico. They are divided into many groups, one of which is the Tajumulco Mam. The Tajumulco Mam, like other Mam subgroups, have little or no tribal identity. Rather, they identify themselves by their communities. The Tajumulco Mam live in the municipio (county) of Tajumulco, near the Tajumulco Volcano in southwestern Guatemala.

Mam-speaking Indians have lived in western Guatemala for at least 2,000 years. They were part of the great Mayan Empire of the first millennium A.D. Although the Mam were conquered by the Spanish in the 1500s, they were allowed to remain somewhat independent. In the 1940s, the Mam began migrating to coffee plantations in search of work. Today, the Mam remain second-class citizens in Guatemala, surviving as farmers or wage laborers.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Most Mam make a living as subsistence farmers. Their primary crops are beans, maize, and various types of squash. Some Mam grow coffee as a cash crop on a small scale. Many Mam travel to large coffee plantations during the harvest season, and the whole family works in the fields. Traditionally, many Tajumulco Mam produced items such as cloth, pottery, and furniture during seasons in which they were not occupied with their farms. Nearly all of the women still weave on traditional looms.

Most of the Mam live in small settlements that have less than 500 people. The majority of the Tajumulco Mam live in small, single family homes. Their houses are made with dirt floors and mud walls. They have tiled or corrugated metal roofs and small windows with shutters. The windows are usually smoky from the indoor cooking fires.

From an early age, Mam children are taught basic cultural skills. Children usually learn by carefully observing others. Since work is given a higher priority than school, most children do not attend school past the primary level.

Young Tajumulco Mam men generally marry in their late teens, while the women marry a few years earlier-as soon as they have mastered the skills of weaving and tortilla-making. Young people have long been allowed to choose their own spouses. Rather than evaluating their potential partners by love or beauty, they look for someone who has practical skills and a good character.

A popular musical instrument among the Mam is the marimba, which is a large xylophone-like instrument played by three or four musicians at a time. The marimba is played at nearly all public events.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Most Tajumulco Mam claim to be Catholic. However, many of their religious practices have been mingled with animism (belief that non-human objects have spirits) and witchcraft. The Mam religion glorifies Catholic saints as very powerful spirits. Each village has its own patron saint, whose statue is often paraded through the streets of town and taken to other villages to "visit" other statues. Witchdoctors, called chmaan, also occupy a prominent place in the Mam religion. The chmaan supposedly work to protect the health, crops, and destiny of the Mam. On All Saints' Day, the people decorate the graves of their relatives with food and drink offerings, and marimbas are played at the gravesides.


What Are Their Needs?

Though the Tajumulco Mam claim to be Christian, they know nothing of the true Gospel and need to hear about God's saving grace.

In a practical sense, the Mam are in need of better educational facilities, school teachers, and quality medical care. Perhaps Christian medical teams and school teachers will have the greatest opportunities to reach these precious people with the Gospel.


Prayer Points

Pray that Christian resources will soon be translated into the Tajumulco Mam dialect.
Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to go to Guatemala and share Christ with the Tajumulco Mam.
Pray that God will strengthen and encourage the few Tajumulco Mam believers.
Ask God to raise up prayer teams who will begin breaking up the spiritual soil through intercession.
Ask the Lord to save key leaders among the Mam who will boldly declare the Gospel.
Ask the Lord to bring forth a strong and growing Tajumulco Mam church for the glory of His name!


Scripture Prayers for the Mam, Tajumulco in Guatemala.


Profile Source:   Bethany World Prayer Center  

People Name General Mam, Tajumulco
People Name in Country Mam, Tajumulco
Natural Name Tajumulco Mam
Pronunciation ta-hoo-MOOL-koh mahm
Alternate Names Tajumulco Mam
Population this Country 57,000
Population all Countries 57,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 5
Unreached No
Frontier People Group No
Pioneer Workers Needed
People ID 15204
ROP3 Code 109736
ROP25 Code 305064
ROP25 Name Mam
Country Guatemala
Region America, Latin
Continent North America
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Huehuetenango department: San Sebastián and other towns; Quetzaltenango and Retalhuleu departments; San Marcos department: Ixchiguán, San Juan Ostuncalco, San Martín Sacatepéquez, Sibinal, Tectitán.   Source:  Ethnologue 2020
Country Guatemala
Region America, Latin
Continent North America
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Huehuetenango department: San Sebastián and other towns; Quetzaltenango and Retalhuleu departments; San Marcos department: Ixchiguán, San Juan Ostuncalco, San Martín Sacatepéquez, Sibinal, Tectitán..   Source:  Ethnologue 2020
Primary Religion: Christianity
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 12.00 %)
97.00 %
Ethnic Religions
3.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Mam (57,000 speakers)
Language Code mam   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Tajumulco
Dialect Code 4742   Global Recordings Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Mam (57,000 speakers)
Language Code mam   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Tajumulco
Dialect Code 4742   Global Recordings Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Mam

Primary Language:  Mam

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1930-2003)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1939-2003)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1993-2013)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Mam Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Mam YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Bible app direct APK download SIL
Mobile App Bible app direct APK download SIL
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Mam YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Mam Literacy & Evangelism International
Photo Source Mark Snowden 
Map Source Bethany World Prayer Center  
Profile Source Bethany World Prayer Center 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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