The Maya civilization, one of the most advanced in the ancient world, flourished across present-day Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras for thousands of years. The ancestors of the Q’eqchi’ and Mopan Maya built great cities, developed complex agricultural techniques, and created a sophisticated writing and calendrical system. However, by the time the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, the Maya civilization was in decline and many of these cities had already been abandoned. The surviving Maya populations fiercely resisted European conquest, and despite centuries of colonial oppression, the Europeans were never able to successfully conquer or enslave them. The Mopan fled Spanish rule in Petén, Guatemala, and later resettled in Belize, while the Q’eqchi’ migrated into the region to escape oppression and forced labor under Spanish rule.

Despite centuries of colonial wrongs, the Maya of Southern Belize maintained their language, traditions, and communal way of life. During British colonization, the Maya primarily lived in isolated villages in the Toledo District, where they practiced subsistence farming and maintained their cultural identity. Over time, they established permanent communities, adapting to new political and economic conditions while preserving their ancestral knowledge. Today, the Q’eqchi’ and Mopan Maya remain an integral part of Toledo’s diverse cultural landscape, carrying forward the legacy of one of the world’s most remarkable civilizations.