Research Catalog

Animals and the Maya in southeast Mexico / E.N. Anderson and Felix Medina Tzuc.

Title: Animals and the Maya in southeast Mexico / E.N. Anderson and Felix Medina Tzuc.
Author: Anderson, E. N., 1941-
Publication: Tucson : University of Arizona Press, c2005.

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Request for On-site Use Request Scan How do I pick up this item and when will it be ready?	Book/Text	Request in advance	MEX.1 An 23 a	Off-site

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Additional Authors

Medina Tzuc, Felix, 1940-

Description

xviii, 251 p. : ill.; 24 cm.

Summary

"In Mexico's southeastern frontier state of Quintana Roo, game animals and other creatures that depend on old-growth forest are disappearing in the face of habitat destruction and overhunting. a beautifully written and researched book —Biology Traditionally, the Yucatec Maya have regarded animals as fellow members of a wider society, and in their religion animals enjoy the status of spiritual beings. But in recent years, the breakdown of cultural restraints on hunting has spiraled so far out of control that almost everything edible within easy reach of a road has become fair game. This book combines the insights of an anthropologist with the hands-on experience of a Maya campesino with the aim of improving the management of Quintana Roo's wild lands and animal resources. E. N. Anderson and Felix Medina Tzuc pool their knowledge to document Yucatec Maya understanding and use of animals and to address practical matters related to wider conservation issues. Although the Yucatec Maya's ethnobotany has been well documented, until now little has been recorded about their animal lore. Anderson and Medina Tzuc have compiled a wealth of information about traditional knowledge of animals in this corner of the Maya world. They have recorded most of the terms widely used for several hundred categories of animals in west central Quintana Roo, mapped them onto biological categories, and recorded basic information about wildlife management and uses. The book reflects a wealth of knowledge gathered from individuals regarded as experts on particular aspects of animal management, whether hunting, herding, or beekeeping. It also offers case studies of conservation successes and failures in various communities, pointing to the need for cooperation by the Mexican government and Maya people to save wildlife.
Appendixes provide an extensive animal classification and a complete list of all birds identified in the area. Even though sustainable forestry has finally come to the Yucatán, sustainable game use is practiced by only a few communities.Animals and the Maya in Southeast Mexico is a complete ethnozoology for the region, offered in the hope that it will encourage the recognition of Quintana Roo's forests and wildlife as no less deserving of protection than ancient Maya cities"--

Subject

Genre/Form

Terminology

Bibliography (note)

Includes bibliographical references (p. [225]-240) and index.

Processing Action (note)

committed to retain

Contents

In the field in Quintana Roo -- The Maya and the animal world -- Beekeeping -- Hunting -- Animal names and nomenclature -- Conclusions -- Appendix I: The animal classification of the Maya of Chunhuhub and area, Quintana Roo -- Appendix II: Birds observed in Chunhuhub and environs / E.N. Anderson.

ISBN

0816523940 (cloth : alk. paper)
9780816523948 (cloth : alk. paper)

LCCN

^^2004015055

OCLC

55990133
SCSB-10051698

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library