Indians of El Salvador

This report refutes that perception, claiming that large concentrations of Indians are found in the western departments of Sonsonate, La Libertad, Ahuachapan, and Santa Ana. Sizeable Indian populations are also reportedly found in the south-central departments of Morazan and La Union. The study estimates the total Indian population at about 500,000. Following a brief history of the Salvadoran Indians, beginning with the first millennium A.D., the report describes the current indigenous population in terms of skin color, economic status, language, self-worth, and religion. It then examines the Indians" current living conditions and future prospects for the Indian identity. The final section describes the rise of an Indian consciousness, citing efforts to acquire more communal lands, influence government policy, and implement small-scale community development activities. The report concludes that the Indians" miserable situation has reached an extreme during the country"s current economic crisis. Neither the government nor any private assistance groups have programs to benefit them, and the few weak attempts by the Indians to help themselves have come to nothing.