The Quiacquix Partialidad is an ancestral organization of the K’iche’ Maya people of Totonicapán based on a community-driven social structure within a specific territorial area governed according to ancestral traditions. The fundamental bond of their alliance is the recognition of kinship ties, which, over time, become more solid and stronger; even when family ties fade away, the community principle of inclusion prevails.
Its communal forest, which spans 68 hectares at elevations between 2,800 and 3,100 meters above sea level, is located in the Samalá and Nahualate river basins within the Subtropical Low Montane Very Humid Forest biome. One of its most important features is water collection and storage, which creates a significant water recharge area with approximately 65 water sources that supply thousands of families in the communities of Vásquez, Quiacquix, Chipuac, and their respective hamlets; This depends directly on the care, protection, and management of the communal forest by the members of the Parcialidad, through their system of roles and services that form a management model unique to Totonicapán known as k’axk’ol (Sacrifice, pain, or suffering, translated into English). An important feature of the Quiacquix Parcialidad forest is the existence of several ceremonial sites or centers used by spiritual guides (AjQ’ij) for the tangible manifestation of Mayan spirituality and cosmogony, as a form of resistance to ancestral ties and the knowledge of indigenous peoples.
Among the species prevalent in the forest are several types of pine, particularly the pinabete, which is of significant importance due to the pressure it faces from illegal logging during the holiday season; therefore, the survival of this species in its natural state and its ability to regenerate serve as a visible indicator of the forest’s conservation status.
The Kyaq K’ix Ecological Park, developed by local communities, promotes community-based tourism, particularly in areas linked to ceremonial centers and sites, while also offering visitors the opportunity to learn about the importance of the ecosystem services provided by the forest through hiking trails and night tours. These activities are not yet developed as the main source of income but are viewed solely as a means of dignifying and valuing the enormous efforts made by the community for the collective benefit.
