Those living in Acteal are indigenous Mayan-Tzotzil. This means that while they belong to the larger Mayan culture-their specific identity lies in the Tzotzil language and traditions associated with groups living in the central highlands of Chiapas.

The worldview of the Tzotzil culture is focused on veneration of ancestors and those that have died. Acteal is considered sacred land, or Tierra Sagrada, because of the massacre of 45 community members on December 22, 1997. The blood of the community members that died acts as a pathway between the living members, the deceased, and God. Blood is a symbol of life. By creating a shrine and tomb for the massacred, the community members keep the memory of the deceased alive. The Mayan-Tzotzil people of Acteal believe that although the 45 community members have physically passed away, they are still very alive and present. The massacre is not forgotten. It is instead kept alive with the collective memory of the community.

The people of Acteal also believe in the acceptance and welcoming of outsiders as long as they are respectful and attentive.

The people of Acteal fight for justice and memory—justice for indigenous peoples and against impunity of those who committed the massacre and those who continue to wage wars against the Maya of Chiapas.