Lacandón Maya in the twenty-first century : indigenous knowledge and conservation in Mexico's tropical rainforest / / James D. Nations ; foreword by Diane Z. Chase and Arlen F. Chase

• Record Nr.: UNINA9911049144203321
• Autore: Nations James D.
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: University Press of Florida, 2023
• ISBN: 0-8130-7056-2
• Classificazione: SOC002010NAT011000
• Disciplina: 305.897/427
• Soggetti: Lacandon Indians - Mexico - Social conditions; Lacandon Indians - Social life and customs; Lacandon Indians - History; SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / Cultural & Social; NATURE / Environmental Conservation & Protection
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Nota di contenuto: Sanctuary -- Lacandones Don't Kill Dogs -- The Ancient Ones -- A Memory of Lakes -- The Wooden People -- The Story of the Stolen Skulls -- How to Eat a Rainforest -- Farming with the Ants -- Teaching a Canoe to Swim -- Fibers, Vines, and Fire in the Night -- Flying Monkeys -- The Jwan T'ut' K'in -- The Lord of the Monkeys -- The Snake in the Lake -- Creating the World -- Paying the Gods -- A Special Place in Hell -- What Happened to the Selva Lacandona? -- Saving a Rainforest -- A Question of How We Will Live.
• Sommario/riassunto: "This book tells the story of how Lacando̹n Maya families have adapted to the contemporary world while applying their ancestral knowledge to create an ecologically sustainable future in Mexico's largest remaining tropical rainforest"--; "From the ancient traditions of the Lacando̹n Maya comes an Indigenous model for a sustainable futureHaving lived for centuries isolated within Mexico's largest remaining tropical rainforest, the Indigenous Lacando̹n Maya now live at the nexus of two worlds-ancient and modern. While previous research has focused on documenting Lacando̹n oral traditions and religious practices in order ; to preserve them, this book tells the story of how Lacando̹n 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 Lacando̹n Maya, James Nations discusses how in the midst of external pressures such as technological changes, missionary influences, and logging ventures, Lacando̹n 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 Lacando̹n families across generations. By helping with these tasks and inheriting the fables and myths that reinforce this worldview, Lacando̹n children continue to learn about the plants, animals, and spiritual deities that coexist in their land.Indigenous peoples such as the Lacando̹n 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 Lacando̹n 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"--