The Triqui (, ) or Trique () are an

Indigenous people There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

of the western part of the

Mexican state A Mexican State (), officially the Free and Sovereign State (), is a constituent federative entity of Mexico according to the Constitution of Mexico. Currently there are 31 states, each with its own constitution, government, state governor, a ...

Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...

, centered in the

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

Juxtlahuaca Juxtlahuaca (), or Xiuxtlahuaca (), is a cave and archaeological site in the Mexican state of Guerrero containing murals linked to the Olmec motifs and iconography. Along with the nearby Oxtotitlán cave, Juxtlahuaca walls contain the earlie ...

, Putla, and

Tlaxiaco Tlaxiaco () is a city, and its surrounding Municipalities of Oaxaca, municipality of the same name, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is located in the Tlaxiaco District in the south of the Mixteca Region, with a population of about 17,450. The ...

. They number around 23,000 according to

Ethnologue ''Ethnologue: Languages of the World'' is an annual reference publication in print and online that provides statistics and other information on the living languages of the world. It is the world's most comprehensive catalogue of languages. It w ...

surveys. The

Triqui language The Triqui (), or Trique, languages are a family of Oto-Manguean spoken by 30,000 Trique people of the Mexican states of Oaxaca and the state of Baja California in 2007 (due to recent population movements). They are also spoken by 5,000 immigrant ...

is a Mixtecan language of

Oto-Manguean The Oto-Manguean or Otomanguean () languages are a large family comprising several subfamilies of indigenous languages of the Americas. All of the Oto-Manguean languages that are now spoken are indigenous to Mexico, but the Manguean languages, Ma ...

genetic affiliation. Trique peoples are known for their distinctive woven

huipil ''Huipil'' (Nahuatl: ''huīpīlli'' ; Ch'orti': ''b’ujk''; Chuj: ''nip'') is the most common traditional garment worn by indigenous women from central Mexico to Central America. It is a loose-fitting tunic, generally made from two or three ...

es, baskets, and ''morrales'' (handbags). Triqui people live in a mountainous region, called "La Mixteca Baja", in the southwestern part of the state of

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. The elevation within the Triqui region varies between . This high elevation permits low-lying

cumulus cloud Cumulus clouds are clouds that have flat cloud base, bases and are often described as puffy, cotton-like, or fluffy in appearance. Their name derives from the Latin , meaning "heap" or "pile". Cumulus clouds are low-level clouds, generally less ...

s to envelop entire towns during the afternoons and evenings. Like many other southern Mexicans, many Triqui men travel to

Oaxaca City Oaxaca de Juárez (), or simply Oaxaca (Valley Zapotec languages, Zapotec: ''Ndua''), is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Administrative divisions of Mexico, Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is the municipal seat for the surrounding munici ...

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, or the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

as day labourers or

migrant worker A migrant worker is a person who Human migration, migrates within a home country or outside it to pursue work. Migrant workers usually do not have an intention to stay permanently in the country or region in which they work. Migrant workers ...

s. As the average daily salary of a rural Oaxacan is less than $5 (U.S.) and La Mixteca is the poorest region of Oaxaca, migration and

remittance A remittance is a non-commercial transfer of money by a foreign worker, a member of a diaspora community, or a citizen with familial ties abroad, for household income in their home country or homeland. Money sent home by migrants competes ...

s sent back to Oaxaca confer economic benefits to both migrant Triquis and their families in Oaxaca. Triqui women are more likely to remain in the Triqui region and do not travel as often as Triqui men do.

Custom

One of the notable customs of Triqui people is the practice of

bride price Bride price, bride-dowry, bride-wealth, bride service or bride token, is money, property, or other form of wealth paid by a groom or his family to the woman or the family of the woman he will be married to or is just about to marry. Bride dowry ...

. During pre-colonial and colonial times, this was a common practice amongst Native Americans in

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area that begins in the southern part of North America and extends to the Pacific coast of Central America, thus comprising the lands of central and southern Mexico, all of Belize, Guatemala, El S ...

, other groups like the

Mixtec The Mixtecs (), or Mixtecos, are Indigenous Mesoamerican peoples of Mexico inhabiting the region known as La Mixteca of Oaxaca and Puebla as well as La Montaña Region and Costa Chica of Guerrero, Costa Chica Regions of the state of Guerre ...

s of Oaxaca continue practicing a

based marriage. It is typical in Trique culture for a man to offer a bride's family money, food, and other products in exchange for the bride's hand in marriage. Generally, the husband and wife know each other prior to this arrangement and there is no arrangement without consent. Those opposed to this custom argue that it appears to them to be like slavery or prostitution. Those opposed to intervening in this custom argue that consent is required and that this Triqui custom is not conceived of as immoral.

Agriculture

The Triqui economic income comes through the cultivation of various crops such as

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

bean A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are traditi ...

pumpkin A pumpkin is a cultivar, cultivated winter squash in the genus ''Cucurbita''. The term is most commonly applied to round, orange-colored squash varieties, but does not possess a scientific definition. It may be used in reference to many dif ...

chili pepper Chili peppers, also spelled chile or chilli ( ), are varieties of fruit#Berries, berry-fruit plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. They are used as a spice to ...

s, quelite, and

lima beans A lima bean (''Phaseolus lunatus''), also commonly known as butter bean, sieva bean, double bean or Madagascar bean, is a legume grown for its edible seeds or beans. Origin and uses ''Phaseolus lunatus'' is found in Meso- and South America. Tw ...

among others. But the most important crops are both the

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus '' Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called plantains, distinguishing the ...

, and the coffee bean. The products are sold in

tianguis A is an open-air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days in a town or city neighborhood in Mexico and Central America. This bazaar tradition has its roots well into the pre-Hispanic period and continues in many cases ...

(open-air markets) found in Chicahuaztla, Copala, San Martín, Itunyoso, Tlaxiaco, Putla, or Juxtlahuaca. The Triquis practice the

slash and burn Slash-and-burn agriculture is a form of shifting cultivation that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody plants in an area. T ...

cultivation system. This work is done by various families (between 20-30 people) in order to plant

milpa In agriculture, a milpa is a field for growing food crops and a crop-growing system used throughout Mesoamerica, especially in the Yucatán Peninsula, in Mexico. The word ''milpa'' derives from the Nahuatl words ''milli'' and ''pan''. Based on th ...

(corn fields) throughout large terrains. This type of collaborate work is known as «mipa colectiva» or «milpa en compañía»

Livestock

Another source of income for the Triqui families is the raising of animals. Mainly they raise cattle,

bovines Bovines (subfamily Bovinae) comprise a diverse group of 10 genera of medium to large-sized ungulates, including Bos, cattle, bison, African buffalo, Bubalus, water buffalos, and the four-horned and spiral-horned antelopes. The members of this gro ...

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the ...

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...

s and

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

s. On a smaller scale, they also raise

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...

turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

and

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...

. In the lower lands, they also practice

beekeeping Beekeeping (or apiculture, from ) is the maintenance of bee colonies, commonly in artificial beehives. Honey bees in the genus '' Apis'' are the most commonly kept species but other honey producing bees such as '' Melipona'' stingless bees are ...

Distribution

* Santiago Juxtlahuaca Municipality (settlements of Agua Fría, Agua Fría Copala, Cerro Barrancadero, Cerro Cabeza, Cerro del Pájaro (Cerro Pájaro), Cerro Plato, Cerro Viejo (Pino Suárez), Cieneguilla, Concepción Carrizal, Coyuchi (Cuyuchi), Cruz Chiquita, Cruz Lengua, Diamante Copala, El Rastrojo, Joya de Anillo, Joya del Mamey Copala, Joya Sabana, La Brama Paraje Pérez (Paraje Pérez), La Cumbre Yerba Santa, La Ladera, La Sabana, Lázaro Cárdenas Copala, Loma Larga, Llano de Aguacate, Llano de Juárez Copala, Llano de Nopal, Llano de Piedra, Ojo de Agua Copala, Paso de Águila Copala (Paso de Águila), Río Humo, Río Lagarto, Río Metates ío Metate Río Santiago, Río Tejón, San Jorge Río Frijol, San Juan Copala, San Miguel Copala, San Miguel de Cárdenas, Santa Cruz Tilapa, Santa María Asunción, Santiago Juxtlahuaca, Santiago Naranjos, Tacuya, Tierra Blanca, Tilapa (Guadalupe de Tilapa) uadalupe Tilapa Unidad Habitacional Noventa y Cinco, Unión de Cárdenas, Unión de los Ángeles, Yosoyuxi Copala (Yosoyuxi), and Yutazani) * San Martín Itunyoso Municipality (settlements of Casa de Zorro, La Concepción, Loma Buenos Aires, Llano Yojosinta, San José Xochixtlán, and San Martín Itunyoso) * Putla Villa de Guerrero Municipality (settlements of Barranca del Cuche, Concepción del Progreso (La Hacienda), Chapultepec, Charloco, Chicahuaxtla, El Chorrito de Agua, El Sesteadero, Joya Grande, La Cañada Tejocote, La Chirimoya (Pie de la Cuesta), La Laguna Guadalupe, La Muralla, La Orilla del Peñasco, La Trovadora, Llano de Zaragoza, Loma Flor de Sangre, Malpica, Miguel Hidalgo Chicahuaxtla, Pie del Encino, Plan de Ayala, Plan de Guajolote, Putla Villa de Guerrero, San Andrés Chicahuaxtla, San Antonio Dos Caminos, San Isidro del Estado, San Isidro de Morelos, San Juan Lagunas, San Marcos Mesoncito, Santa Cruz Progreso Chicahuaxtla, Santiago Amate Colorado, Santo Domingo del Estado, Tierra Colorada (San José Tierra Colorada), Unión Nacional, Yosonduchi, and Zafra (San Isidro Zafra) * Constancia del Rosario Municipality (settlements of Constancia del Rosario, El Sausalito, La Cacica acique Llano Guachicata, Loma Ancha, Piedra Blanca, Rancho Viejo, Río Verde, San José Yosocaño, Santa Ana Rayón, Santa Cruz Río Venado, Santa María Pueblo Nuevo, and Tierra Blanca)

Sports

The main sport practiced by the Triqui people is

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

, and as such, a basketball court can be found in all their surrounding communities. Tournaments are held during local festivals where all the athletes participate. The various institutes of education also hold basketball tournaments among all the surrounding schools. Gaining in popularity, although not widely practiced among the Trique is

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

. The documentary fil
Gigantes Descalzos
chronicles a team of Triqui youth basketball players.

References

Bibliography

External links

Triqui monograph on Everyculture.
{{Authority control Triqui Triqui people