or K'iche or Kiche
Indian group of the Guatemalan highlands, largest of all ethnic groups speaking a Maya language .
The Quiché Maya had an advanced civilization in pre-Columbian times. Records of their history and mythology are preserved in the Popol Vuh . Traditional Quiché are agricultural. Their homes are thatched huts, and they practice weaving and pottery. Nominally Roman Catholic, they conduct traditional rituals as well. Many were killed or displaced during the Guatemalan military's counterinsurgency campaign of the early 1980s.