TUQTUQUILAL is to Live in Harmony
Tuqtuquilal (tuuk-tuuk-iyl-lahl) is a Mayan Q'eqchi word that best translates to "harmony" or "peace." It’s more than a name; it’s the foundation of everything we do.
Our primary mission to be an example of how to live in harmony with each other — individually and inter-culturally — and with the living bioregion in which we work.
How It All Began
Founded in 2017 by Matthew McLeod, Tuqtuquilal sits in the tropical highlands of Lanquín, Guatemala. It began as a vision to regenerate degraded land and create space for community-led learning, healing, and production, in collaboration with the Q’eqchi Mayan community, the caretakers of this territory.
Cacao as the Catalyst for Regeneration
Cacao offers a blueprint in the way it connects everything: land, people, culture, and memory. It holds the spirit of the territory and guides much of what we do. By focusing on cacao, we stay rooted in ancestral ways while building relationships that nourish both community and soil. Cacao is medicine, food, and a possibility for a bright future.
Why Regeneration?
Our concept of regeneration is based on understanding the wisdom the land offers us so we can tend to the natural, economic, and social well-being of the territory where Tuqtuquilal is located. From that seed, we created the Red Ratzum Cacao Collective and work with the Q’eqchi community to caretake land, create medicinal products, and grow and learn together.
What Guides Us
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A future of well-being, abundance, and interdependence. Inspired by Mayan cosmovision and collective care, so future generations can thrive.
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To regenerate land and build community harmony through agroecology, artisanal production, ecotourism, intercultural education, and holistic well-being.
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❋ We care about the Earth that sustains us.
❋ We care for the people who our work touches.
❋ We share what we grow and know.
❋ We respect the Q’eqchi culture, its wisdom and lifeways.
❋ We do the work together, with a common mission of well-being for all.
Why is Regeneration Necessary in Q'eqchi Territory?
Forests Under Threat
Deforestation caused by monocultures, illegal logging, and cattle ranching is stripping the land of life. We respond with food forests, permaculture plots, and reforestation efforts.
Increasing Contamination
Waste mismanagement is poisoning air and water in Lanquín. We support low-tech, daily practices and environmental education to help families reduce their negative ecological footprint.
Nourishment in Crisis
Poverty and malnutrition go hand in hand with the collapse of ancestral food systems and increasing popularity of cheap processed foods. We work to restore food sovereignty through traditional practices and regenerative farming techniques.
Education as Liberation
Only 1 in 5 youth access secondary education, and gender inequality remains high. We offer hands-on learning that meets the needs of the Q’eqchi community and builds long-term resilience.
The People Who Make This Possible
Behind everything we do is a dedicated group of people caring for this land and its future. They bring care, skill, and a deep sense of purpose to the work of regeneration.
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Vilma Caal
Lanquín, Guatemala
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Sacarias Rax
Lanquín, Guatemala
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Domingo Caal
Lanquín, Guatemala
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Lauro Caal
Lanquín, Guatemala
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Silvia Caal
Lanquín, Guatemala
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Robin Rutchik
Maryland, USA
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Kenzie Barth
Illinois, USA
Join Our Team!
Do you resonate with our mission and have useful skills to offer? If so, we’d love to talk and see how we can collaborate! Below are the roles we are looking to fill immediately:
✧ Manager of Permaculture & Regenerative Systems
✧ General Contractor / Supervisor (construction)
✧ Volunteer (specifically looking for people skilled in bioconstruction, carpentry, permaculture, social media, and cooking)
If you’d like to learn more, send us an email (tuqtuquilal@gmail.com) introducing yourself, explaining your skills and interests and what questions you have. We’ll get back to you to start a conversation about working together.
