Agroecological Heritage: Elucidating the Place of Cycads in Indigenous Mesoamerican Epistemologies

Englehardt, Joshua D.; Jaramillo, Angélica Cibrián; Carrasco, Michael D.

doi:10.1007/978-981-16-5225-7_3

Cited by 2 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Both sake (fermented) and shōchu (distilled) cycad beverages have been consumed; it is unclear whether the practice continues. The area where this occurs, as described by Englehardt and Carrasco (2023), is deeply involved with many uses for cycads, including a heavy dependence on them for food. On this, Thieret (1958) cites Haring (1952):Cycad meal is prepared variously, mixed with other foods to stretch them out, and made into sake —and universally disliked.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mind-altering Cycads? Preliminary Evidence of Psychoactive Effects in Cycadales

Bonta

2023

Journal of Ethnobiology

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This article examines historical and contemporary evidence for the importance of cycads as sources of psychoactive experiences for ritual and recreational purposes. Methods used include critical analysis and comparison of published and gray literature as well as ethnographic accounts gathered by the author in Mexico and South Africa. The consumption of cycad parts (pollen, coralloid root, and caudex) to derive an intentional psychoactive effect as a drug may implicate the neurotoxic amino acid BMAA, while fermentation and distillation of cycad starch result in intoxication from alcohol. Cycad ingestion is related to medicinal uses, magico-religious practice, and sexual stimulation as an aphrodisiac. Interconnections between these functions, the ceremonial importance of cycads, and conservation implications are discussed. Conclusions include the need to better understand effects on users and on cycad populations, and the potential pitfalls and opportunities psychoactive uses present for community-based conservation.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mind-altering Cycads? Preliminary Evidence of Psychoactive Effects in Cycadales

Bonta

2023

Journal of Ethnobiology

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“…Máximo Allende, a farmer from Santiago Ecatlán, commented that the sites where C. totonacorum grows "should have fertile soil so they can grow" and as was identified through historical sources, maize has been produced in this community since the pre-Hispanic period. It is possible that the collective memory still maintains a symbolic maize-cycad relationship, as Englehardt, Jaramillo, and Carrasco (2021) identify in diverse communities in Mexico where past and present Mesoamerican agroecological systems reveal a profound historical relationship between maize and cycads. An example of this are the findings identified in some archaeological contexts, where remains of cycad strobili have been found (MacNeish 1967) that were used several thousand years ago.…”

Section: Cultural Dimensions Of Ritual Use Of C Totonacorummentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Beyond these efforts, the promotion of multidisciplinary conservation strategies that include planning at the taxonomic, ecological, and sociocultural levels has been suggested (Martínez-Domínguez et al 2021). Indigenous epistemologies that highlight cycads' environmental and cultural roles should be recognized along with ancient and modern cultural practices that incorporate this type of hybrid natural-cultural model (Englehardt, Jaramillo, and Carrasco 2021).…”

Section: Other Perspectives On Conservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to the plants' cultural and symbolic values, many Indigenous communities in the Americas use and manage cycad species (Bonta 2007;Bonta et al 2006Bonta et al , 2019Vite-Reyes, Pulido, and Flores-Vázquez 2010). Cycads are also important because of their evolutionary history, and special attention is paid to their conservation due to their slow growth and restricted distributions (Englehardt, Jaramillo, and Carrasco 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In some communities, its local name means "old maize," "grandparents' maize," "antique maize," or "bush maize" (Vázquez-Torres 1989). Cycads are recognized as a substitute for maize during times of food scarcity (Bonta et al 2019;Englehardt, Jaramillo, and Carrasco 2021). In northeastern Mexico and Honduras, some believe that "in years when maize produces in abundance, the cycad cones don't, and vice versa," reflecting the complexity of associations between both resources (Bonta et al 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ritual Use of Ceratozamia totonacorum (Zamiaceae) Leaves in Santiago Ecatlán, Puebla, Mexico: Perspectives on Conservation

Fuentes,

Binnqüist,

Peña

et al. 2023

Journal of Ethnobiology

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This study focused on the use and management of Ceratozamia totonacorum leaves during the Day of the Dead in Santiago Ecatlán, an Indigenous Totonaca community located in the Sierra Norte of Puebla, Mexico. Ethnographical, ethnobotanical, and ecological methods were utilized to document the ritual use and traditional management practices of C. totonacorum. Additionally, this information was used to evaluate the impact and effect of leaf extraction on a C. totonacorum population. C. totonacorum plants grow on limestone cliffs and in adjacent agricultural fields. Experienced harvesters remove the leaves without damaging the plants, and when C. totonacorum leaves become scarce they are substituted by Chamaedorea spp. Our results show that these practices do not have a negative impact on the studied population. We conclude that community management practices have contributed to maintaining a stable population of C. totonacorum. We therefore consider the need to study the relationship between the permanence of ritual ceremonies and associated sustainable plant practices and the importance of projects based on a better understanding of ritual plant uses, which could contribute to sustainable resource and ecosystem conservation. This research demonstrates the relevance of co-designing comprehensive conservation strategies that vindicate the value and promote local expressions of traditional knowledge.

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Agroecological Heritage: Elucidating the Place of Cycads in Indigenous Mesoamerican Epistemologies

Cited by 2 publications

References 42 publications

Mind-altering Cycads? Preliminary Evidence of Psychoactive Effects in Cycadales

Mind-altering Cycads? Preliminary Evidence of Psychoactive Effects in Cycadales

Ritual Use of Ceratozamia totonacorum (Zamiaceae) Leaves in Santiago Ecatlán, Puebla, Mexico: Perspectives on Conservation

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