Tlapanec people

The Tlapanec /ˈtlæpənɛk/, or Meꞌphaa, are an Indigenous people of Mexico native to the state of Guerrero. The Tlapanec language is a part of the Oto-Manguean language family, and is closely related to the now extinct Subtiaba language of Nicaragua. Today, Tlapanecs live primarily in the state of Guerrero and number more than 98,000.

In pre-Columbian times they lived in the isolated mountain area along the Costa Chica region of Guerrero, just east of present-day Acapulco. The main Tlapanec city was Tlapan and the name Tlapanec is Nahuatl for "Inhabitant of Tlapan".

Seemingly related to the Tlapanec proper were the Yopi (Yope) people, whose territory in the vicinity of Acapulco was called Yopitzinco. The Yopi, being formidable warriors, were never conquered by the Aztec Empire and remained an independent enclave surrounded by the Aztecs, yet were invited to the coronations of Mexica rulers in Tenochtitlan, where they were given gifts. There may have been some cultural differences with the Tlapanec proper, such as Yopi culture having a greater emphasis on hunting with the bow and arrow and not wearing clothing until marriage (and even then, only palm leaves and deerskins). The Yopi worshipped Xipe Totec and perhaps are responsible for bringing this cult to Tenochtitlan. Although divorce was permitted, the Yopi punished adultery by the offended spouse biting off the offender's nose upon the first infraction, and by stoning to death on the second infraction.