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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.

Pray for the Western KanjobalPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Western Kanjobal people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Acateco

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

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Western Kanjobal

  1. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  2. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  3. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  4. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.

Download a prayer guide

Kanjobal, Western in other countries

The same people (ROP3 110785) is reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
KanjobalMexico10,500No Longer Unreached

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