The Spaniards tried to control the Maya of Chetumal. Chetumal was then the capital of a large Maya area, and was located just west of present-day Corozal Town, possibly at Santa Rita. In answer to a demand to submit to Spain, Chetumal's chief, Nachankan, replied that his only tribute would be "turkeys in the shape of spears and corn in the shape of arrows". The Maya defeated the Spanish and old Chetumal in Belize became a place of refuge for Maya fleeing the Spanish rule.
The Spanish invaders moved farther south, but all attempts to control other Maya villages, like Lamanai in New River Lagoon, and Tipu, a Maya village of about 500 inhabitants near Negroman in the Cayo District, eventually failed. The Maya fought back. They burnt the churches the Spanish missionaries had built and returned to their old beliefs. In southern Belize, the Chol Maya opposed the Spanish in the same manner.
The Spanish never had lasting control over the Maya in Belize. They never settled in the area but they did cause social disruption. During the Classic Period of the Maya, the population of what is now Belize was at least 400,000. After the decline, the population was greatly reduced. Of those who remained, as much as 86 per cent died after coming into contact with the Spanish. Some were killed in war, but most of them died from new European diseases brought by the conquerors.
By the time the British came to Belize the Maya were no longer living near the coast. When the British arrived in the 17th century they did not mention any contact with the Maya. It was only late in the 18th century that their records show contact with the Maya inland.
NOTE: That Nachan Can is one of our Ancestors of the Maya Yucatec. When they simply say "Maya" means the Maya Yucatec/Masewal.
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