Mazatec
Encyclopedia
The Mazatec people are an indigenous people
who inhabit an area known as the Sierra Mazateca
in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico
, as well as some communities in the adjacent states of Puebla
and Veracruz
.
are part of the Popolocan family
which, in turn, is part of the Otomanguean language family.
seeds, coleus leaves, psilocybe
mushrooms and Salvia divinorum
or "Diviners' sage", a species of the Salvia
(sage) genus with psychoactive properties. This latter plant is known to Mazatec shamans
as ska María Pastora, the name containing a reference to the Virgin Mary.
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
who inhabit an area known as the Sierra Mazateca
Sierra Mazateca
The Sierra Mazateca is a mountaineous area, part of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca, located in the northern part of the state of Oaxaca in Southern Mexico. Its western part is within the district of Teotitlan del Camino in the Cañada and its eastern part is within the district of Tuxtepec, in the...
in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, as well as some communities in the adjacent states of Puebla
Puebla
Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
and Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
.
Language family
The Mazatecan languagesMazatecan languages
The Mazatecan languages are a group of closely related indigenous languages spoken by some 200,000 people in the area known as La Sierra Mazateca, which located in the Northern part of the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, as well as in adjacent areas of the states of Puebla and Veracruz...
are part of the Popolocan family
Popolocan languages
The Popolocan languages are a subfamily of the Oto-Manguean language family of Mexico, spoken mainly in the state of Puebla.The Popolocan languages should not be confused with the languages called Popoluca spoken in the state of Veracruz, which belong to the unrelated Mixe–Zoquean language family...
which, in turn, is part of the Otomanguean language family.
Post-colonial period
The Mazatecs' religion is a synthesis of traditional beliefs with Christian beliefs brought by the Spanish conquistadors.Traditional religious rituals
Mazatec tradition includes the cultivation of entheogens for spiritual and ritualistic use. Plants and fungi used for this purpose include morning gloryMorning glory
Morning glory is a common name for over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae, whose current taxonomy and systematics is in flux...
seeds, coleus leaves, psilocybe
Psilocybe
Psilocybe is a genus of small mushrooms growing worldwide. This genus is best known for its species with psychedelic or hallucinogenic properties, widely known as "magic mushrooms", though the majority of species do not contain hallucinogenic compounds...
mushrooms and Salvia divinorum
Salvia divinorum
Salvia divinorum is a psychoactive plant which can induce dissociative effects and is a potent producer of "visions" and other hallucinatory experiences...
or "Diviners' sage", a species of the Salvia
Salvia
Salvia is the largest genus of plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, with approximately 700-900 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals. It is one of several genera commonly referred to as sage. When used without modifiers, sage generally refers to Salvia officinalis ; however, it is...
(sage) genus with psychoactive properties. This latter plant is known to Mazatec shamans
Mazatec shamans
The Mazatec Shamans are known for their ritual use of psilocybe mushrooms. Some shamans on occasion use other plants, such as Salvia divinorum and morning glory seeds...
as ska María Pastora, the name containing a reference to the Virgin Mary.