Mixtec taxonomy: plant classification, nomenclature, and identification in Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

Background: Ethnotaxonomy seeks to understand how members of a culture name and categorize biological organisms in their local language. This research examined the ethnotaxonomy of plants among the Mixtec people in the municipality of San Miguel el Grande, Oaxaca, Mexico. Methods:We conducted a collaborative research between 2019 and 2020 with 42 Mixtec men and women between 38 and 100 years of age, in the ten communities that make up the municipality. We focused on classification, nomenclature and plant identification.Results: There is a more or less hierarchical classification that contemplates both cognitive and utilitarian aspects. The nomenclature shows that the Mixtec of the study area have taken into account the characteristics of the plants-cultural, experiential, and ecological-to name them. Identification is based on multiple morphological, ecological, cultural and experiential mechanisms. Conclusion:The botanical ethnotaxonomy of San Miguel el Grande is rich and varied, revealing that plants play an important role in the lives of people. However, it seems that the disuse of some plants and the Spanish language is conditioning the maintenance of Mixtec plant names.

The relationship between Northern Khmer people and the forest: A study through ethnobotanical knowledge and vocabulary maintenance

“…It might be said that plant names in the Northern Khmer language are a repository of knowledge crucial for people as a key to retrieving what they have learned about the plants in the Takaw forest, and as such they play a significant role in the knowledge transmission. This finding agrees with those of Aparicio et al (2021) and Addi et al (2022), who noted that the continued use of plants and language impacted the preservation of plant names. Thus, Northern Khmer plant names, as presented in this study, will continue to be maintained as long as its speakers continue to speak their language and rely on information associated with such names in their daily life.…”

“…Interestingly, numerous studies have discovered a link between the loss of local languages and the loss of plant knowledge, as with TEK (see further Benz et al 2000;Cámara-Leret & Bascompte 2021;Saynes-Vásquez et al 2013). In the case study of Mixtec people in Mexico, Aparicio et al (2021) reveal the factors affecting the people's knowledge and plant uses, including age, gender, education, and modernization. This study further highlights the loss of Mixtec language and ethnobotanical knowledge, given that Mixtec plant names are rapidly disappearing from the repertoire of those who still speak the Mixtec language, either because they have forgotten the names of the plants or because they remember the names but do not acquire their meanings.…”

“…This study also emphasizes the significance of folk plant names as a condensed form of TEK, if these names are lost, so is the knowledge stored in them. The importance of plant names is also noted by Aparicio et al (2021) who state that the name becomes meaningless if the plant is not used any more. In other words, people would forget the names of plants if they stopped using them.…”

Ritual use of rosa de borracho (Clinopodium macrostemum (Moc. & Sessé ex Benth.) Kuntze, Lamiaceae) in Oaxaca

“…These communities have preserved their ancestral languages, customs, and beliefs, enriching the cultural fabric of the region (Altamirano-Jiménez 2020; Aparicio et al 2021a, b;Pascual-Mendoza et al 2022). Oaxaca's indigenous heritage is evident in its traditional clothing, intricate craftsmanship, and ancient ruins such as Monte Albán and Mitla, tangible reminders of the region's Prehispanic past (Aparicio et al 2021b). The preservation and celebration of indigenous cultures and traditions contribute significantly to the cultural wealth of Oaxaca.…”