The presence of the tojolobales in the patron saints festivals of Comitán, Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

This article centres on the participation of the Mayan-tojolabal population in the patron saints festivals and pilgrimages of the city of Comitán, Chiapas, and neighboring settlements. The objective is to gain knowledge about the historical and cultural contributions of this population to the city and the region. Participant observation, including conversations, spontaneous and directed interviews with key actors, visits to homes and accompaniment in various peregrinations, formed part of an ethnographic memory project, and permitted the identification of a variety of implied symbols. The realization of these religious activities is indicative of a desire for the constant construction of a communal sense of sacrality, of relations with nature and with memory as key elements in the way of life of the tojolabales, and of their presence in the urban space.