Region
Central America
26 nations of Central America, each with its own name first and checked facts with sources.
26 nations
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Bribri
Also known as Bri bri
Lands The Talamanca mountains of southern Costa Rica, on both the Caribbean (Limón) and Pacific (Puntarenas) sides, with smaller communities in Bocas del Toro, Panama
Bribri communities also live in Panama, where the 2023 census counted 766 Bribri people.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo (INEC), Panama (opens in a new tab) Checked
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Buglé
Lands The Ngäbe-Buglé comarca and nearby areas of Bocas del Toro and Veraguas in western Panama
Panama's 2023 census counted 23,898 Buglé people; about 12,000 of them live in the Ngäbe-Buglé comarca, which they share with the Ngäbe.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo (INEC), Panama (opens in a new tab) Checked
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Cabécar
Lands Indigenous territories in the Talamanca mountains and Chirripó area of Costa Rica, in Limón, Cartago and Puntarenas provinces
Costa Rica's 2013 list of Indigenous territories includes Cabécar territories such as Alto Chirripó, Bajo Chirripó, Talamanca Cabécar, Ujarrás and Telire.
Source: Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (TEC) (opens in a new tab) Checked
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Ch'orti'
Also known as Maya Ch'orti'
Lands Jocotán, Camotán, Olopa and Quezaltepeque in Chiquimula and La Unión in Zacapa, Guatemala, and communities around Copán in Honduras
Ch'orti' is also spoken in Honduran communities such as Cabañas, Santa Rita and Copán Ruinas.
Source: Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias (AGN) (opens in a new tab) Checked
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Emberá
Lands The Emberá-Wounaan comarca and collective lands in Darién and eastern Panama, and the Pacific and Chocó regions of Colombia
Panama's 2023 census counted 51,657 Emberá people.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo (INEC), Panama (opens in a new tab) Checked
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Garifuna
Also known as Garínagu
Lands Caribbean coast of Honduras, Belize, Guatemala and Nicaragua, plus large diaspora communities
In 2024, Belize observed Garifuna Settlement Day on 19 November as one of its official public holidays.
Source: Government of Belize Press Office (opens in a new tab) Checked
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Guna
Also known as Gunadule
Lands Gunayala on Panama's Caribbean coast and islands, plus Madungandí and Wargandí in Panama and communities in northwestern Colombia
Gunayala's 49 communities govern themselves together through the Guna General Congress, their highest political and administrative body for land, resources and education.
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Ixil
Also known as Maya Ixil
Lands The Ixil region of northern Quiché, Guatemala: Nebaj, Chajul and Cotzal
Ixil women weavers of the Q'imb'al initiative, with youth and village ancestral authorities, launched Community Radio Tiichajil Tenam in Nebaj to share Ixil cultural values.
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Kaliña
Also known as Kari'na
Lands Coastal Suriname and French Guiana, with related communities in Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil
In Suriname the Kari'na (Kaliña) live in many villages with their own village heads, including Christiaankondre and Langamankondre at Galibi in Marowijne district.
Source: Vereniging van Inheemse Dorpshoofden in Suriname (VIDS) (opens in a new tab) Checked
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Kalinago
Also known as Carib (older name)
Lands The Kalinago Territory on the northeast coast of Dominica, in the eastern Caribbean
In July 2024, voters in the Kalinago Territory elected their Kalinago Chief; the winning candidate received about 58 percent of the votes counted.
Source: Electoral Office, Commonwealth of Dominica (opens in a new tab) Checked
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Kaqchikel
Also known as Maya Kaqchikel
Lands Central highlands of Guatemala, including Chimaltenango, Sacatepéquez and parts of Sololá
In 2022 the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was a member of the Maya Kaqchikel people.
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K'iche'
Also known as Maya K'iche'
Lands Western highlands of Guatemala, including Quiché, Totonicapán, Quetzaltenango and Sololá
In Totonicapán, the 48 Cantones is a K'iche' ancestral authority built from community governments, with representatives chosen each year in assembly.
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Lenca
Also known as Pueblo Lenca
Lands Western and southwestern Honduras (Intibucá, Lempira, La Paz and nearby departments) and eastern El Salvador
COPINH runs Lenca community radio stations that share news bulletins, podcasts, interviews and training with Lenca communities.
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Lokono
Also known as Arawak
Lands Coastal and river villages of Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana
Suriname's association of Indigenous village leaders lists the Lokono among the country's four major Indigenous peoples, with villages such as Washabo, Apoera and Alfonsdorp.
Source: Vereniging van Inheemse Dorpshoofden in Suriname (VIDS) (opens in a new tab) Checked
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Mam
Also known as Maya Mam
Lands Western highlands of Guatemala (Huehuetenango, San Marcos, Quetzaltenango) and neighboring Chiapas, Mexico
In October 2025, the Mam communities of Cajolá and Todos Santos Cuchumatán joined two other Maya communities in reporting to a UN committee on their community radio rights.
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Mayangna
Also known as Mayagna
Lands The Bosawás region and North Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua, with related Tawahka communities in Honduras
After the 2020 hurricanes, Mayangna communities in Bonanza rebuilt together: they repaired 15 roofs collectively and planted 50 plots of grains, beans, corn and cassava.
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Miskitu
Also known as Miskito
Lands The Caribbean coast of Nicaragua and La Moskitia in northeastern Honduras, along the Wangki (Coco) River
In 2021 the Yapti Tasba community radio network, linked to Miskitu organization YATAMA, reached 17 Indigenous territories and 154 communities, 95 percent of them Miskitu.
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Mopan
Also known as Mopan Maya
Lands The Toledo District of southern Belize and nearby Petén, Guatemala
In 2022 a Free, Prior and Informed Consultation Protocol for the Maya of southern Belize was adopted, and in 2025 a working draft on protecting Maya customary land tenure followed.
Source: Caribbean Court of Justice (opens in a new tab) Checked
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Nahuat Pipil
Also known as Nahua
Lands Western El Salvador, especially Sonsonate and Ahuachapán departments
In Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Nahuat-speaking teachers created Nahuatl cribs where children learn the language, and Radio Sensunat promotes Nahuat Pipil culture.
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Naso Tjër Di
Also known as Naso
Lands The Naso Tjër Di comarca along the Teribe River in Bocas del Toro, northwestern Panama, near the Costa Rican border
Panama's 2023 census counted 5,568 people who identify as Naso.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo (INEC), Panama (opens in a new tab) Checked
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Ngäbe
Also known as Ngöbe
Lands The Ngäbe-Buglé comarca in western Panama (parts of Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí and Veraguas), nearby lands in Panama, and Ngäbe territories in southern Costa Rica
Panama's 2023 census counted 444,878 Ngäbe people.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo (INEC), Panama (opens in a new tab) Checked
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Q'eqchi'
Also known as Maya Q'eqchi'
Lands Alta Verapaz, Izabal and Petén in Guatemala, and the Toledo District of southern Belize
Radio Chiquixji in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, broadcasts for bilingual Q'eqchi' and Spanish speakers and for communities that speak only Q'eqchi'.
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Tz'utujil
Also known as Maya Tz'utujil
Lands The southern shore of Lake Atitlán in Sololá, Guatemala, including Santiago Atitlán and San Pedro La Laguna
Radio Sembrador, a community station in San Pedro La Laguna on Lake Atitlán, broadcasts news and cultural programs in Tz'utujil and Spanish.
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Wayuu
Also known as Guajiro
Lands The Guajira Peninsula, shared by northern Colombia (La Guajira) and northwestern Venezuela (Zulia)
Colombia's 2018 census counted 380,460 people who identify as Wayuu, up 40.7 percent from 2005.
Source: DANE (National Administrative Department of Statistics, Colombia) (opens in a new tab) Checked
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Wounaan
Also known as Waunana
Lands Darién and eastern Panama, including the Emberá-Wounaan comarca and collective lands, and the San Juan River region of Colombia
Wounaan forest technicians map illegal clearing with smartphone apps and GIS, and communities bring that evidence to the Wounaan National Congress.
Source: Yale Environment 360, Yale School of the Environment (opens in a new tab) Checked
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Xinka
Also known as Xinca
Lands Santa Rosa, Jutiapa and Jalapa departments in southeastern Guatemala
In May 2024 the Parliament of the Xinka People hosted Guatemala's president in San Juan de Arana, Cuilapa, where they signed a 13-point work agenda.
Source: Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias (AGN) (opens in a new tab) Checked