Editing Mazatec (section)

{{Short description|Indigenous People of Mexico}}
{{for|the languages|Mazatecan languages}}
{{Infobox ethnic group|
|group=Mazatec<BR>'''''Ha Shuta Enima'''''
|image=[[Image:Huautla de Jimenez.jpg|249px]]
|caption=Mazatec girls performing a dance in [[Huautla de Jimenez]]
|population=~305,836
|popplace=[[Mexico]] ([[Oaxaca]])
|rels=[[Roman Catholic]], and Traditional religion
|langs=[[Mazatecan languages|Mazatec]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]]
|related=[[Popolocan languages|Popoloca]]s
}}
The '''Mazatec''' are an [[Indigenous people of Mexico]] who inhabit the [[Sierra Mazateca]] in the state of [[Oaxaca (state)|Oaxaca]] and some communities in the adjacent states of [[Puebla]] and [[Veracruz]].

Some researchers have theorized that the Mazatec, along with Popoloca speakers, once inhabited the lowlands of the [[Papaloapan River|Papaloapan basin]], but were driven into the adjacent highlands by the expansion of [[Nahuas]].<ref>Wauchope, R. (2015). Handbook of Middle American Indians, Volumes 7 and 8: Ethnology. United States: University of Texas Press. pg 325</ref>