MAYAN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE USE OF AQUATIC AND TERRESTRIAL FAUNA

Abstract

Background: In the new millennium, the importance of the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples has become internationally visible, not only because of the role it plays in the conservation of biodiversity, but also because access to indigenous traditional knowledge has become relevant to the globalized market as it is considered a primary source of information on the utilitarian properties of bio-genetic resources. Objective: To analyze the traditional knowledge of the Yucatecan Maya regarding the use value of aquatic and terrestrial fauna. Methodology: A systematic analysis of literature was carried out in bibliographic databases and scientific repositories (SciELO, Scopus, JStor, SpringerLink, BioOne, Science Direct, Elsevier, Redalyc, Periodica and Google Scholar), according to three inclusion criteria and 10 search descriptors in English and Spanish. Results: The first regional list for the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula was prepared, consisting of 283 species of invertebrates and vertebrates. 13 categories of use are described, being food, medicinal, ritual, pet, mythical and ornamental those that registered the highest percentage of species. There are 11 species with multipurpose use value, which have been exploited from pre-Hispanic times to the present, among which more than six types of uses stand out: Crotalus tzabcan, Pecari tajacu, Crax rubra, Meleagris ocellata y Odocoileus virginianus. Implications: Given that the system of traditional knowledge on the utilitarian properties of wildlife has been maintained among the current Yucatecan Maya, it is therefore essential that the property rights of indigenous peoples with respect to access to their traditional knowledge and associated bio-genetic resources be ensured in the face of globalized market trends in demand for resources as a result of advances in biotechnology industries. Conclusions: The system of traditional knowledge of the Yucatecan Maya on the use of faunal diversity is dynamic, adapting and modifying from their pre-Hispanic past, to operate under current environmental and sociocultural conditions, in addition to constituting an essential part of their strategy of substance based on the multiple use of the biological diversity present in the territories they inhabit.

Keywords

• biodiversidad
• etnociencia
• globalización
• península de yucatán
• venado cola blanca.