The highlands consist of volcanic areas that are surrounded by mountain ranges from the Chiapas to Southern Guatemala.
These characteristics made the region appealing to explorers who later exploited the locations abundant natural resources.
[1] In 1554, the Spanish military first invaded Lacandon jungle, where the Lakandon Chʼol and other indigenous groups lived.
At the end of the 1550s, the Spanish invasion forced the Chʼol and other Mayan groups into settlements called Reducciones.
[3] However, many Mayan traditions are incorporated into the Chʼols' Christian religious practices (more so than in other regions of Mexico).
"[4] The staple food of the Chʼol people are corn, livestock (chicken, turkey), beans, squash, bananas, greens and other fruits.
The interaction has also heightened the need to learn Spanish and has caused the stigmatization of native languages including Chʼol.
In México, education is mandatory through secondary school, but many Chʼol students (especially girls) stop attending around the sixth grade due to early marriage and financial issues.