TZUTUJIL

also spelled Zutuhil, or Tzutuhil, Mayan Indians of the midwestern highlands of Guatemala. The Tzutujil language is closely related to those of the neighbouring Cakchiquel and Quich (qq.v.). The Tzutujil, like the neighbouring Mayan peoples, are agricultural, growing the Indian staple cropscorn (maize), beans, and squash. They also keep a few domestic animals such as sheep, pigs, and chickens. The people live in municipios, districts or communities oriented around central villages; the villages themselves are not usually permanently inhabited in this region. The Indians consider themselves members of the municipio rather than Tzutujil or Guatemalan. The basic cultural pattern is very similar to that of the Quich or the Cakchiquel; custom and dress vary to some extent from one municipio to the next. See also Maya.