Communities of San Lucas Toliman
Panimaquip
The meaning of the name of the village Panimaquip. The first founders of the community came from the capital of the department Solola. They found piled up on the property the plant “K’IP," which means pacaya leaves. Thus they named the town Panima (big) k'ip (pacaya leaves). In honor and respect for the plant “K’IP” the community was named the village Panimaquip.
The founders cultivated corn and beans on the land. Every weekend they traveled on foot to the department’s capital, Solola, to go to the market to buy materials and food for the following week.
Each year they take out the property title of the community to be in the sun for protection and to get humidified. They do this when the canicula starts (a two week dry period during the rainy season). This activity is done by the elders who are gathered at a large party, which includes a traditional Maya ritual.
Young people and children were not allowed to participate in this Maya ceremony. The most trusted elder kept the key to the box where the title was stored. This was how our grandparents protected the title of the communal property because they were afraid that the finqueros (owners of the finca) would steal the land.
The intelligence and wisdom of our ancestors as a form of resistance to the Spanish is a very important part of our history, which has gone on for more than 100 years.
In recent times, the members of the community decided to appoint an auxiliary mayor as a legal representative. When the first auxiliary mayor took office and realized what the grandparents were doing, he suggested that young people and children participate in the rituals that were so important to the elders.
In the year 1976 the community of Panimaquip was damaged by an earthquake. Many lives were lost and communities damaged. A second earthquake occurred on September 18th, 1991. As a result, the primary school was destroyed along with other buildings.
In the year 1991 when the title of the property was taken out in the sun, the young people thought that the title should be read. Everyone knew the title as a sacred book of the community, but it wasn't being read, so people did not know what it said.
When the document was read, they learned exactly where were the boundaries of the community were. It was not comforting news because the title indicated that the community of Totolya occupied part of the land that belonged to Panimaquip. They discovered that the boundary markers still existed and were able to verify the correct boundaries of the community.
Eventually the community of San Martin was formed as Panimaquip grew larger.
MISSION IMPACT:
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Construction: Since 2015, the Mission has built 7 block houses, 2 hybrid homes, 4 wood houses, and 99 fuel-efficient stoves in Panimaquip.
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Healthcare: In 2019, Panimaquip was served by 5 visiting medical groups who conducted a total of 176 consults. There were 92 children enrolled in the child nutrition program with 20 families receiving the supplement.
FEAST DAY
The feast day is celebrated February 5th in honor of the patron “San Felipe de Jesus.”
CUSTOMS
For important festivals like birthdays, proposals, Holy Week, and the Feast Day, it is the custom to eat “Pulique" or "Pulik” with hot tamalitos wrapped in corn or tuza leaves.
MYTHS AND LEGENDS
Our grandparents say that the first families that inhabited the village often had many conflicts over property, girls, and women. So most practiced magic to get revenge on their enemies.
Among the beliefs that existed were:
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Eating burned tortillas helps men not fear the dark
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Sweeping over girls’ feet takes away their opportunity to get married when they are older
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The person who points at vultures with their fingers will get lots of lice.
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Girls that make tortillas under a full moon learn to make good tortillas at an early age.
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Black cats are very bad luck.
One of the most commonly told legends is the appearance of “la llorona” in the pila (public wash area) that was located in the ravine. During the day many women came to wash and men came to gather water for their crops and animals. "La llorona" (the crying woman) could be heard lamenting the loss of her child.
RELIGION
The predominant religion is Catholicism. Later the Evangelicals appeared headed by three families. Currently the following denominations exist (listed from largest to smallest):
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Catholic Action
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Assembly of God Evangelical Church
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Catholic Charismatic Renovation
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Evangelical Pentecostal Church
LANGUAGE
The predominant language is Kaqchikel, which is learned from birth. The second language is Spanish which is practiced in preschool and primary school with the teachers.
FOOD
The foods that are consumed by families during a day are:
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Tortillas
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Beans
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Rice
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Vegetables
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Chicken
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Beef
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Eggs
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Fish
ARTISAN WORK
The most well-known handiwork of the community is the guipil (hand-woven women’s blouse). These are made both to be worn and to be sold in the town market.
TOURIST PLACES
The main attraction is the Catholic Church, which doubles as a community hall. All large events are held here.
TYPICAL CLOTHING
Because the founders of the community came from Solola, the clothing is indicative of that area. Most of the younger generation prefers to wear “western clothes."
CULTIVATION
The topography of the land is very steep. The soil is rich with the most commonly grown crops being coffee and avocados.
Community Leadership:
Each community in the municipality of San Lucas Toliman has elected leadership specific to that community. These groups of elected leaders are usually referred to as a COCODE. People from the community are elected and usually serve 1-2 years. The COCODE usually has about a dozen members.
