Most Tzeltals live in communities in about twenty municipalities, under a Mexican system called “usos y costumbres” which seeks to respect traditional indigenous authority and politics.

The Spanish conquered Mayan territory in the early to mid 16th century including what is now the state of Chiapas.

Over most of the colonial period until the Mexican Revolution, this and other indigenous groups were forced to labor in the mines, mills and haciendas of the state for little to no wages.

Even during the 20th century economic and political marginalization remained severe, culminating in the Zapatista uprising in 1994, in which many of the Tzeltal people participated along with other indigenous groups.

[6][8] The Tzeltal call themselves Winik atel, which means "Working Men" in their language, or as the “batzil’op” or “those of the original word” referring to the Mayan oral tradition.

[10][11] They are followed by the closely related Tzotzil Maya who also live in the Los Altos region near San Cristóbal.

The Tzetals in the main concentration distinguish themselves more against “Ladinos” (Spanish speakers, usually of mixed race) and from those indigenous in the more rural areas.

However, many Tzeltal practices have survived to the present day because of this group’s large number vis-à-vis the Spanish and Ladinos, giving it a certain amount of power to resist acculturation to European culture.

[13] Many Tzeltal communities are governed under a concept of “usos y costumbres” (usage and customs) which attempts to allow for the maintenance of traditional indigenous societal structures.

[2][12] The two are related to other Western Maya languages in the state such as Chontal, Ch'ol, Tojolabal, Chuj, Q'anjob'al, Acatec, Jakaltek, and Motozintlec .

[2] The Tzeltal language is concentrated in twenty of Chiapas' 111 municipalities, with two main dialects; highland (or Oxchuc) and lowland (or Bachajonteco).

[12] Women are distinguished by black skirt with a wool belt and an undyed cotton blouse embroidered with flowers.

[12] The more conservative communities maintain the inheritance of land through patriarchal lineages and a complicated set of kinship terminology.

Those who live in larger villages tend to specialize in craft production, with surpluses traded through a regional market system.