Kʼicheʼ people

Common card · No. 251375

The Kʼicheʼ (pronounced [kʼiˈtʃeʔ]; Spanish spelling: Quiché) are an Indigenous people of the Americas and one of the main Maya peoples. They are primarily found in the highlands of Guatemala. The eponymous Kʼicheʼ language is a Mesoamerican language in the Mayan language family. The highland Kʼicheʼ polities in the pre-Columbian era are associated with the ancient Maya civilization, and reached the peak of their power and influence during the Mayan Postclassic period (c. 950–1539 AD). This language is used as an official language in Guatemala with Spanish. The meaning of the word Kʼicheʼ in the Kʼicheʼ language is "many trees". The Nahuatl translation, Cuauhtēmallān "Place of the Many Trees (People)", is the origin of the word Guatemala. Quiché Department is also named after them. Rigoberta Menchú Tum, an activist for Indigenous rights who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992, is perhaps the best-known Kʼicheʼ person.

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