The Maya communities speak more than 20 different languages - each of them is technically accepted by the state, but little effort to promote them takes place in practice.
In comparison to the bloody days of the civil war, when indigenous rights were virtually non-existent, the past two decades have seen developments in the place occupied by the Maya in Guatemalan society. But Maya communities still lack access to health care and social services.
"Decolonisation is a process that does not happen overnight," says school principal Alvaro Coj. "We have been working on it for over 20 years, and we still don't have all the answers."
The video Guatemala: The Maya is from Al Jazeera's Living the Language series.
