The Maya today number about six million people, making them the largest single block of native peoples north of Peru. Some of the largest Maya groups are found in Mexico, the most important of these being the Yucatecs (尤卡特客人300,000), the Tzotzil (索西120,000) and the Tzeltal(泽尔塔尔80,000).
The Maya have faced great challenges, some of which continue today. Some ethnologists (人种学者)even doubt the ability of Maya culture to survive the attacks of the modern world. However, a look at the traits which have kept the Maya culturally and physically up to date—their hold on the land, devotion to their communities, and a deeply held system of belief—offer some hope.
The Maya have managed to maintain many of the old ways in agriculture and trade. Like their ancestors, most Maya households engage in corn farming and many produce crafts, such as woven textiles, for sale in markets. Unlike their pre-conquest ancestors, however, many of the men must also leave their villages for the lowlands where they work part of the year on coffee and cotton plantations.
The ancient Maya calendar has also survived remarkably well. In the Maya highlands, many communities still have shaman priests or "day-keepers", whose job is to keep track of the round of days according to the Maya calendar, and to conduct traditional ceremonies for individuals and the larger community.
Maya schools have also begun to realize that diverse Maya language groups must band together if their culture and languages are to survive. Most heartening of all to some observers, Maya populations are actually increasing rather than
dwindling
in numbers, and some believe that the Maya"s heightened awareness of their strength as one people with a glorious past and an ability to adapt may help them survive for centuries to come. The underlined word "dwindling" in the last paragraph probably means （）