For the past forty years, Chiapas, Mexico has undergone industrialization and modernization, due to both the development of natural resources and the social programs of the Mexican government. These recent changes are altering indigenous culture through changes introduced without serious consideration of the consequences of such national integration. The survival of traditional settlement patterns is a major problem for the cultural continuity of these societies during their period of adaptation to modern life. The problem of development and modernization with respect to evolving cultural patterns in the Chiapas Highlands is addressed. Hence, primacy is given to the study of the indigenous population's construal of natural and social environments in determining physical patterns of settlement. Specific analysis and recommendations are made with the aim of insuring cultural continuity and self-sufficiency, as well as the preservation of viable forms of cultural expressions.