Agua Bendita
Barrio Bombaro
Cerro Lloron
Loma de Juarez

San Antonio la Laguna
San Felipe Santiago
San Geronimo Dolores
Santa rosa de Lima
San Simon
Suchitepec
Tres Puentes
The Mazahua are located in the north, center and eastern part of the State of Mexico and some villages are located in the State of Michoacan along the border with the State of Mexico. Their territory is high and cool with heavy rains. There are about 220,000 Mazahua based on a population in 1980 of 181,002, which I have estimated upwards based on the overall growth of indigenous population over the last 25 years. These population figures are difficult to estimate due to different criteria for counting the populations and the often grand omissions on the part of the census takers. The language is classified as part of the Otmanague group, Otopame branch, and Otomi-Mazahua family.

The basic economic activity is agriculture with corn, beans, squash, maguey and fruit being the principal crops. The Mazahua also keep the common barn yard animals such as goats, sheep, chickens, turkeys, horses and oxen. Immigration, as with many indigenous groups, is an important source of income for the family. The Mazahua also produce handicrafts, embroidered goods and woven baskets are among the most well known.

The costume varies in its detail but stick to a style that is easily distinguished, click here for a PDF file with a composite of all the villages on this page.

Even with the help of the Delgados this was not an easy group to research, however with patience and perseverance this small sample of the Mazahua is here for your enjoyment. The Mazahua are a large group and if coupled with the Otomi of the state of Mexico probably number over 300000 people. They are in various stages of transition, with some villages losing costume and language at a incredible pace. Since the people must go to Toluca or Mexico City to find work they are exposed to the influences of the modern world. Many Mazahua women go to work as domestics and the men as laborers, they earn bottom dollar but it is still more than they can make in the towns.

An interesting antidote about the way I was greeted, when ever I asked a question the person (universally) would ask “ who is asking”. At first this set me aback but after the first 10 people all said the same thing I figured out that I should introduce myself before asking a question.

The following are monographs of the districts I visited in Spanish. They represent many of the districts that the Mazahua live in. They were written bu Mexicans so they generally minimize the Mazahua presence.

Lo siguiente son los distrito donde viven las Mazahuas que yo visitaba. Como son escritos por Mexicano (mestizos) minimizan las Mazahua pero son un buen referencia sobre la territorio de las Mazahua

Distrito de Atlacomulco. pdf

Distrito de El Oro.pdf

Distrito de Temascalcingo.pdf

Distrito de Villa Victoria.pdf

Distrito de San Felipe Progreso.pdf

Distrito de Donato de Guerra.pdf

Distrito de Villa Allende.pdf