- Ixil Triangle
The Ixil Triangle is a name given to three neighboring towns in the Quiché department in the western highlands of
Guatemala . These towns areSanta Maria Nebaj ,San Juan Cotzal , and San Gaspar Chajul and its population is predominantly of Ixil descent. When viewed on a map, the three Ixil towns appear to form a triangle.Culture
Due to its location in the
Cuchumatanes mountains, the Ixil Triangle has remained mostly isolated from the rest of the world. Its people have therefore maintained their traditional culture free from influences of the outside world. Most of the men are farmers, and most of the women are weavers.The people of the Ixil Triangle primarily speak the Ixil language. Some villagers speak Spanish as a secondary language.
Turmoil During Civil War
During the
Guatemalan Civil War , theGuerrilla Army of the Poor (EGP) used the surrounding mountains as a base of operations. The Guatemalan Army pursued ascorched-earth policy [http://www.peacebrigades.org/guatemala/cap96-07.html] to remove the threat. The villagers of the Ixil Triangle were caught in the crossfire, and hundreds of civilians were killed,torture d, or disappeared.The army's campaign against civilians in this region may have been motivated partially by a desire "to weaken and eventually eradicate Maya culture." [http://www.anthro.fsu.edu/wovenvoices/warandup.html] Villagers learned not to wear their traditional Maya clothing, because its distinct appearance made them easy targets.
The Game
Ixil Triangle is also the name of a marble game played by the children of La Laguna, a small village about forty minutes from Nebaj. It may be a game widely played throughout the region or simply a game that was made up by a handful of kids. Three marbles are placed in the shape of an equilateral triangle, drawn in the dirt about 7 to ten inches from each other. A line is drawn in the dirt about 2 meters from the triangle. Marbles are shot from that line to try to knock the other marbles off the points of the triangle. This is not exact but it is how it was observed by someone who could not communicate with the young boys playing the game. More rules may apply, based on location.
External links
* [http://kundaliniawareness.com/page/chapter_16_the_ixil_triangle_guatamala_1999 The Ixil Triangle, Guatemala, 1999]
* [http://www.anthro.fsu.edu/wovenvoices/villages/ixil.html The Ixil Triangle]----
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