The Yaitepec Chatino are a pre-Columbian indigenous people whose communities of origin are located in the Southern portion of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The people are hardworking and friendly. The Chatinos have close cultural and linguistic ties with the Zapotec people, whose languages form the other branch of the Zapotecan language family. Chatinos call their language cha'cña, which means "difficult word." It is recognized as a national language in Mexico.

The Chatino in Raleigh/Durham/Cary, NC report that a significant portion of Chatino people groups in Mexico have now moved to the area.

The Yaitepec Chatino practice a mix of Catholic rituals and traditional pagan religious practices that originated long before contact with the Spanish. They believe in many gods, and worship the rain and thunder. They also believe in the "keytone", or animal spirit, that accompanies a person. They practice witchcraft and divination. The region of Juquila, Oaxaca, where the Chatino originate from, is the center of worship of the "Virgin of Juquila". There is a great deal of religious fanaticism amongst the Chatinos, who consider themselves to be good Catholics. They are both unreached and unengaged with the gospel. They have no evangelical churches and only 6 known believers anywhere in the world.

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