Tzeltal Ethnomycology: Naming, Classification and Use Of
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TZELTAL ETHNOMYCOLOGY: NAMING, CLASSIFICATION AND USE OF MUSHROOMS IN THE HIGHLANDS OF CHIAPAS, MEXICO by AARON MICHAEL LAMPMAN (Under the Direction of Brent Berlin) ABSTRACT The Tzeltal Maya of Highland Chiapas have extensive knowledge of wild mushrooms in the local ecosystem. This dissertation examines the totality of Tzeltal ethnomycological knowledge through an analysis of patterns of nomenclature and classification, knowledge of mushroom ecology, and beliefs about mushroom nutritional, medicinal, and toxic properties. Research was conducted in communities in the municipalities of Oxchuc and Tenejapa. Methods included mycological collection, semi- structured interviews, pile sorts, triad tests, sentence substitution surveys and participant observation. The explanatory approach is ethnoecological, with a focus on the interaction between human cognition and domain features and how this interaction influences behavior. A total of 72 species were identified and are described herein. Of these, 30 species are utilized for food and medicine. The mushroom domain is perceived as a third kingdom that is independent of the plant and animal kingdoms. The kingdom includes two life-forms that are further subdivided into 4 covert complexes, and 51 folk genera, 4 of which are polytypic and include between 2 and 5 folk species. These categories are based on morphological similarities and dissimilarities, supporting the universal principles of folk classification as proposed by Berlin (1992). However, unique features of the mushroom domain such as small size, morphological similarity and toxicity make the use of mushrooms potentially dangerous. The Tzeltal deal with these features through the recognition of two special purpose folk categories based on utility that overlap and interact with the general purpose system of folk classification. Detailed ethnomycological knowledge is limited to species that are considered useful. Edible mushroom development is associated with the rainy season, a time when staple food supplies are low. Knowledge of the habitats, substrate preferences and tree associations of culturally important species is widespread. Linguistic designations are consistent only for useful species, and mushroom nomenclature is non-arbitrary, incorporating morphological features such as color, size, shape, and substrate preference. The strict separation of useful and useless species of mushrooms within the folk classification system provides guidelines for the safe use of macrofungi as biological resources, and influences the structure and substance of knowledge that is associated with each special purpose category. INDEX WORDS: Biocultural diversity, Biodiversity, Chiapas, Classification, Cognitive anthropology, Ecological anthropology, Ecology, Ethnobiology, Ethnobotany, Ethnoecology, Ethnomycology, Folk biology, Folk classification, Fungi, Highlands, Human ecosystems, Indigenous knowledge, Macrofungi, Maya, Medical ethnobotany, Mexico, Mushroom, Mushroom diversity, Mushroom names, Mushroom use, Mycology, Nomenclature, Subsistence, Traditional ecological knowledge, Tseltal, Tzeltal TZELTAL ETHNOMYCOLOGY: NAMING, CLASSIFICATION AND USE OF MUSHROOMS IN THE HIGHLANDS OF CHIAPAS, MEXICO by AARON MICHAEL LAMPMAN B.A., New College of Florida, 1996 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2004 © 2004 Aaron Michael Lampman All Rights Reserved TZELTAL ETHNOMYCOLOGY: NAMING, CLASSIFICATION AND USE OF MUSHROOMS IN THE HIGHLANDS OF CHIAPAS, MEXICO by AARON MICHAEL LAMPMAN Major Professor: Brent Berlin Committee: Elois Ann Berlin Ben Blount David Porter Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2004 Dedication To my parents, Susan and Michael, who made my footing more secure along this difficult path, and the people of Tenejapa and Oxchuc. iv Acknowledgements A project such as this is the product of many minds and many voices. I am deeply grateful to my mentor, Brent Berlin, who introduced me to the world of the Tzeltal Maya and the wonders of human cognition. His dedication to the people and cultures of Chiapas is a shining example of the best that anthropology has to offer, and his continuing passion for research inspires everyone around you to work a little harder. Ethnobiology lives! I am also deeply grateful to Elois Ann Berlin, whose energy is constantly transferred to those around her, and whose meta-thoughts lead to inspired inquiry. She has always served as the glue for our fictive family in the labs of ethnobiology, and kept us healthy in the field. I am further indebted to another member of my dissertation committee, David Porter, who is one of the best teachers I have ever known. Many thanks for taking so much time out of your schedule to work closely with a “soft-scientist,” and training me in the mystic arts of mycology. My heartfelt thanks to Ben Blount, a good friend and great mentor who helped me to shape so many of the ideas that are found throughout these pages, and Ted Gragson, who always managed to inspire me to make my research and analysis more rigorous. More importantly, perhaps, are the people of Tenejapa and Oxchuc who not only made this research possible, but who welcomed me into their homes and lives. Due to complex politics in the Highlands, I would prefer to leave their names unspoken, but their contributions to shaping me, as a human and a researcher should not go unnoticed. Don v S. and his wonderful family fed and housed me, entertained me constantly, and continually supported me in my research efforts. I owe this family so much for unselfconsciously making me a welcome part of their community. In another part of the Highland region, another family cared for me and nourished my learning of language and tradition, and their children made life a true pleasure. For their support in integrating me with the community, and the many tortillas we shared together, I am grateful. In addition, I would like to extend my gratitude to my main collaborator, Jesus, who woke up each morning at 4:00 am, and worked with me all day every day. His collaboration was an extremely important part of this research, and he helped me in more ways than I can count – from introducing me to community elders, to guiding me through the complex maze of trails through the mountains. He helped teach me Tzeltal and was even willing entering our data into computers in his downtime. Many others in the Highlands contributed to this research, and all of the Maya researchers at ECOSUR deserve recognition. They are a generous and hardy group who make research in the Highlands a worthwhile endeavor. Most of us have true stalwarts in our lives, and there are three people who supported me without reservation and provided me with love, wisdom, patience and sanity. I could not have made it here without my mother, Susan. She supported me, pushed me, listened to me, and often worked on these ideas with me. I would also like to thank my father, Michael, who never voiced any doubts me (even if things looked grim), and whose dedication to mastery of philosophy and the arts has always served as a sounding board against which I test my own progress. Finally, I have had the good fortune to share my time in graduate school with the support of my partner and best vi friend, Julie. Her constant optimism, unerring patience, and willingness to listen to my frustrations have provided the solid ground that allowed me to finish this research. She overhauled ideas with me, edited my work, came to Mexico despite her “allergies,” and took that wild ride with the Bimbo Bread truck angels when my truck died, and for all of this and much more I am indebted. A few people were integral to getting me here in the first place. I need to mention the most excellent mentors at New College, including Maria Vesperi, Tony Andrews, Dr. Maude Scott, and Sandra Gilchrist, who fostered my interest in both anthropology and biology. I would like to extend my gratitude to the leaders of the National Science Foundation Summer Institute for Research Design, including Jeffrey Johnson, Sue Weller, and Russell Bernard for working closely with me on developing this project. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the administrative staff at UGA, especially Charlotte Blume, for working so hard to help all of us graduate students make it. I would also like to thank the people at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur who generously agreed to sponsor me as a visiting researcher in Chiapas, especially Mario González-Espinosa, Mario Ishiki, Lucía Róbles Porras and the rest of the herbarium and library staff. There are many more people who were an important part of this research. David Casagrande, a good friend and amazing anthropologist went over most of these ideas with me again and again. Thanks for your intellectual support and insight; I could not have spent time in the field with a better person (especially when it came to divvying up that rabbit). George Luber, who not only shared his knowledge and resources without reservation (and fixed my truck with duct-tape), but taught me about fun tickets and good people. Rob Cooley, who made coffee for me as we passed in the night, shared the vii bumper of his truck with me countless times, and is one of the only reasons I made it this far. Cameron Adams and Anna Waldstein who have been on this path with me since the beginning and made life in Chiapas more musical in myriad ways. Eugene Hunn who traded ideas with me on ethnomycological classification. Thanks to Greg Guest, Eric Jones, Becky Zarger, Felice Wyndham, Suzanne Joseph, Holly Luber, Rick Stepp, and all the others from the University of Georgia whose dedication to hard work, hard play, and good science have made me lucky to be in anthropology. I also have the good fortune to have many friends who remained involved in this process, even when they had no idea where I was, or whether I would ever finish.