The Mixteco people, who call themselves Ñuu Savi (“People of the Rain”), are an Indigenous group primarily inhabiting the states of Oaxaca, Puebla, and Guerrero in southern Mexico. Archaeological and ethnohistorical evidence traces their presence back to pre-Columbian times, with the Mixtec civilization known for its complex social organization, sophisticated art, and codices. Spanish colonial records from the 16th century document the Mixtec as a distinct and influential cultural group in Mesoamerica.
Mixteco territory includes mountainous and valley regions across the Mixteca Alta, Mixteca Baja, and Mixteca Costa, encompassing numerous municipalities such as Juxtlahuaca, Tlaxiaco, and Huajuapan de León. According to the 2020 INEGI census, there are approximately 470,000 Mixteco language speakers, making it one of Mexico’s largest Indigenous language groups. The Mixteco language belongs to the Oto-Manguean language family and comprises multiple dialects with varying degrees of mutual intelligibility.
Ñuu Savi cosmogony reflects a rich spiritual worldview centered on rain, fertility, and ancestral veneration. The rain god, Dzahui, is a prominent figure associated with agricultural fertility and life sustenance. Ceremonies and rituals often invoke the cycles of nature, honoring ancestors and maintaining harmony between humans and the environment.
The Mixteco are renowned for their artistic traditions, including codex painting, textile weaving, pottery, and stone sculpture. Their vibrant festivals feature music, dance, and traditional attire that symbolize their deep cultural heritage. Important celebrations include the Día de la Candelaria, Fiesta de la Virgen de la Asunción, and local patron saint festivities tied to agricultural calendars.
The Mexican Library’s Mixteco section focuses on preserving language documentation, historical codices, oral traditions, ethnobotanical knowledge, ceremonial recordings, and community histories. These resources support academic research, cultural revitalization, and Indigenous education in collaboration with Mixteco communities.
Bibliography and References:
- INEGI (2020). Censo de Población y Vivienda—Mixteco language speaker statistics and demographics.
- Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas (INALI). Catálogo de las Lenguas Indígenas Nacionales—Mixteco linguistic classification and dialects.
- Ethnologue (2023). Mixtec language entry—dialect variations and language vitality.
- Boone, Elizabeth Hill. (2007). Stories in Red and Black: Pictorial Histories of the Aztec and Mixtec. University of Texas Press.
- Spores, Ronald. (1993). The Mixtecs of Oaxaca: Ancient Times to the Present. University of Oklahoma Press.
- INAH reports on Mixteca archaeological sites and cultural heritage.
- UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger. Mixteco language status and revitalization efforts.
- Academic publications on Oto-Manguean languages and Mixtec ethnography.
- Community archives and oral history collections from Ñuu Savi municipalities.