San José, Petén in the context of "Petén Department"

The Itza are a Maya ethnic group descendants of the Chanes from the Chontal region of Tabasco from where they made a historic migration arriving at Bacalar and northern Yucatán during the 10th century, then they arrived at Champotón and finally in the 15th century they settled around Lake Petén Itzá where they remained independent until 1697. During the Spanish colonial era and later by the Guatemalan government, the Itza were victims of repressive policies that accelerated the extinction of the Itza culture and language, leading to the loss of much of their ethnic identity.

They are one of the smallest Maya groups and have the lowest population; the few Itza descendants are settled in the town of San José, north of Lake Petén Itzá in the department of Petén, Guatemala, and are considered highly acculturated to mestizo society, with only 36 elderly people remaining as native speakers of the language.