From the ancient traditions of the Lacandón Maya comes an Indigenous model for a sustainable
future
Having lived for centuries isolated within Mexico’s
largest remaining tropical rainforest, the Indigenous Lacandón Maya now live at
the nexus of two worlds—ancient and modern. While previous research has focused
on documenting Lacandón oral traditions and religious practices in order to
preserve them, this book tells the story of how Lacandón families have adapted
to the contemporary world while applying their ancestral knowledge to create an
ecologically sustainable future.
Drawing on his 49 years of studying and learning
from the Lacandón Maya, James Nations discusses how in the midst of external
pressures such as technological changes, missionary influences, and logging ventures,
Lacandón communities are building an economic system of agroforestry and
ecotourism that produces income for their families while protecting
biodiversity and cultural resources. Nations describes methods they use to
plant and harvest without harming the forest, illustrating that despite drastic
changes in lifestyle, respect for the environment continues to connect Lacandón
families across generations. By helping with these tasks and inheriting the
fables and myths that reinforce this worldview, Lacandón children continue to
learn about the plants, animals, and spiritual deities that coexist in their
land.
Indigenous peoples such as the Lacandón Maya
control one-third of the intact forest landscapes left on Earth, and Indigenous
knowledge and practices are increasingly recognized as key elements in the
survival of the planet’s biological diversity. The story of the Lacandón Maya serves
as a model for Indigenous-controlled environmental
conservation, and it will inform anyone interested in supporting sustainable
Indigenous futures.
A volume in the series Maya Studies, edited by Diane Z. Chase and Arlen F. Chase
