ABSTRACT
Maria and Antonia are two teenage Tzeltal girls who live in one of the parajes (hamlets) of the rural indigenous township of Tenejapa. To the anthropologist who has known the community for some time, the most striking thing about them is how well turned out they are. Their traditional clothing is neat and clean, their skirts immaculately pleated and belted, their hair combed, braided, and tied with bright new ribbons. Although their families are, like all families, campesinos (peasants), the girls give the impression that they no longer have to work on the land but lead a more leisurely life. As they approach me, they begin to giggle, but stop briefly to exchange greetings. They are on their way to attend the midweek service in the nearby temple and are clearly in a hurry. Their new religion is the consuming interest of their lives. They know that they have a special relationship with God and are amongst the chosen who will be saved. They carry themselves with self-assurance and give the onlooker the clear message that all is well with their world. They have a degree of self-confidence that those who have not yet “found the way” rarely show. These girls are typical of the way in which women are gaining a new sense of self but not one that aims to give them access to or a position in the male world.
