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People group profile · PG048657

The Santa Maria la Alta Nahuatl of Mexico

The Santa Maria la Alta Nahuatl of Mexico, numbering about 500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Mexico.

They are an indigenous people in the Aztec people cluster of the Latin American and Caribbean Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Catholicism, and they primarily speak Spanish.

Pray for the Santa Maria la Alta NahuatlPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Santa Maria la Alta Nahuatl people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Nahuatl, Santa Maria la Alta

Fast facts

Country
Mexico
Population
500
Affinity group
American Peoples
People cluster
Aztec
Primary language
Spanish (spa)
Primary religion
Folk Catholicism
Strategic Progress Index ?
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC ?
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority ?
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
Central America, Americas
Location
Puebla: Atenayuca, Santa María la Alta; a few northwest of Tehuacán

Where they live

Gospel status

The Santa Maria la Alta Nahuatl are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist No
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Santa Maria la Alta Nahuatl

  • Continue prayer and fasting for this group
  • Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
  • Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Primary religion

Folk Catholicism · Christianity

94% adherents

Primary language

Spanish · Indo-European family

100% speak Spanish

Gospel resources in Spanish

  • Bible available
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs 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 Santa Maria la Alta Nahuatl

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

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