The Maya family, the most highly civilized of all the native races of America, is divided into two great groups, the Maya and the Kiche, to which may be added the Huasteca. The Maya proper, within whose territory were con tained most of the semi-historical cities of the more advanced culture of Mexico, were spread over all the peninsula of Yucatan, eastern Tabasco, British Honduras and the island of Carmen. They were divided into Lacandon, Mopin and Itzae or Petite three tribes speak ing slightly different dialects. The LacandOn still inhabit a region near the headwaters of the Usumacinta River, in eastern Chiapas and northern Guatemala. They were once a very extensive and important people; but their an cient greatness has disappeared. They still speak their native tongue. The territory of the Itzae occupied a part of northern Guatemala and eastern Yucatan stretching westward probably to Campeche and southward to Chia pas. The Mopan occupied an undefined terri tory partially in southern British Honduras, Guatemala and Chiapas. To the south of them were the Chol, also a ,Maya tribe, to the west the LacandOn and to the east and north the Itzae.
The Huasteca, a tribe situated far from the parent stock, and extending from Tampico southward and westward is wedged in between the Otomi on the west, the Nahua, Totonac and Tamaulipas tribes on the north. It was once a powerful nation and the people of to-day still bear all the racial characteristics of the Mayas.
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Jotim Huniarr Coasys, National University of Wm'