People group profile · PG024701
The Western Kanjobal of Guatemala
The Western Kanjobal of Guatemala, numbering about 72,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Mayan people of Guatemala's Huehuetenango Department centered on San Miguel Acatan, whose Akateko language split from the Qanjobalan language group between 1400 and 1500 AD, later disrupted by displacement during the Guatemalan Civil War.
They are an indigenous people in the Maya people cluster of the Latin American and Caribbean Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Catholicism, and they primarily speak Western Kanjobal.

Fast facts
- Country
- Guatemala
- Population
- 72,000
- Affinity group
- American Peoples
- People cluster
- Maya
- Primary language
- Western Kanjobal (knj)
- Primary religion
- Folk Catholicism
- Strategic Progress Index
- No Longer Unreached
- Evangelical
- 15% or Greater but Less than 20%
- GSEC
- 10% or Greater Evangelical
- Lostness priority
- Moderately Reached People Group
- Region
- Central America, Americas
- Location
- Huehuetenango department: San Miguel Acatán area
Where they live
Gospel status
The Western Kanjobal are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 10% evangelical.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Western Kanjobal
- Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
- Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
- Send out laborers from this people to the nations
Primary religion
Folk Catholicism · Christianity
70% adherents
Primary language
Western Kanjobal · Mayan family
84% speak Western Kanjobal
Gospel resources in Western Kanjobal
- Bible available, published 2016
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Acateco)
Bibles
- 2001 Wycliffe Bible Translators Inc. · audio, text
- 2016 Asociación Educativa y Cultural Maya · audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Western Kanjobal
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
Kanjobal, Western in other countries
The same people (ROP3 110785) is reported in 1 other country.
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