“If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”
I can’t believe this is the last blog I will be writing for this class.
This week I was assigned the Waorani. I really enjoyed it.
Big thanks to Alara Sever, Geneviève Lalonde, and Katerina Vyskotova, you did a great job!
While reflecting on this term, I noticed the strong sense of community in every one of the Indigenous groups we studied. For the Shipibo Konibo, the Garifuna, the Maya, the Quechua, the Zapotecs and the Waorani, the community and reciprocity were key.
Lately, I have been stressing and trying to unsuccessfully fight insomnia. I have been trying to balance academics and work while trying to comply with pandemic safety measures. I think it is quite easy to complain and be self-centred during these times. Realizing how self-centred I have been this term made me admire even more the sense of community of all the groups who have fought for centuries for their autonomy and the self-donation of many members for the well-being of their community. For example, how Nelida from “Hija de la laguna” decides to go live in an urban setting that she doesn’t enjoy, so she can protect community members from the injustices of mining companies and the government. Or Alicia Cawiya and Nemonte Nenquino, Waorani women, that dedicate their lives to fight for nature, which they feel is also part of their community.
Their example made me reflect on my own actions. I think it is necessary, and I should take action now despite the pandemic, despite being a student busy with school and work. Life won’t get any less busy afterwards. I should incorporate standing for others and fighting for what I care about today because no one knows anything about the future.
Anyways, another quote for the final season:
“It’s hard to find the rhythm when the rhythm keeps changing. Go easy on yourself.”
After watching the Chef’s Table episode on Enrique Olvera, it is likely that we are all familiar with the Mexican state of Oaxaca: one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse regions of America. Located in southeastern Mexico along the Pacific Ocean coast, where the southern and eastern Sierra Madre intersect (Quinto-Cortés et al. 410), Oaxaca is often recognized by its beautiful coastal and highland valleys, rugged mountains and ethnic diversity (Joyce). While there are more than 60 Indigenous populations in Mexico, Oaxaca is home to the majority of them (Quinto-Cortés et al. 410). The Zapotecs are one of these various ethnolinguistic Indigenous groups in Oaxaca, and they are considered to be one of the most important cultures within Mesoamerican civilizations (Joyce). The Zapotecs live in four geographic regions of Oaxaca: the Central Valley, the Istmo, the Northern Sierra and the Southern Sierra (Luna-José 2). Together, the Zapotecs and the Mixtecs, another Indigenous group in Oaxaca, constitute just under 70 % of the Indigenous population in Mexico (Pavón 2), but the Zapotecs alone represent the third largest Indigenous group in Mexico (Luna-José 2). The present-day cultural diversity is rooted in the pre-Hispanic era, and despite the significant turmoil of the Spanish Conquest, pre-Hispanic traditions still greatly influence the lives and understandings of Indigenous communities (Joyce).
Figure1. The Zapotecs live in four geographic regions of Oaxaca: Valles Centrales, El Istmo, Sierra Norte and Sierra Sur
When roaming a market in Oaxaca, it is likely you will hear various native languages spoken, along with Spanish. It is no surprise that language, as a crucial feature of social cohesion, is an area of great diversity in Oaxaca, due to the fact that Oaxaca has a rich collection of different languages and dialects (Quinto-Cortés et al. 410). Around the time of the Spanish Conquest, there were probably over a million Mixtec, Chatino and Zapotec speakers (Quinto-
Cortés et al. 410). However, the uneven distribution of fertile lands divided by high mountains encouraged isolation, therefore influencing the emergence of linguistic and cultural diversity (Quinto-Cortés et al. 410). Today, at least 16 distinctive language groups are identified in Oaxaca, along with Spanish (Joyce); and in terms of language preservation, the Zapotecs have shown a great resistance to the loss of their native tongue (Saynes-Vásquez et al. 2).
2: Ecological knowledge and Classification Systems
Ecological Knowledge
Global changes that affect local communities have the potential to cause severe loss of ecological knowledge (Saynes-Vásquez et al. 2). Saynes-Vásquez et al. refer to this knowledge as “Traditional Ecological Knowledge” (TEK), which is the “knowledge, beliefs, and practices that have to do with the relationship that human societies have with their natural surroundings” (2). Their study analyzed cultural change among the Zapotec peoples, specifically those from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. They found that cultural change experienced by these peoples, as a result of regional development processes, is related with the deterioration in TEK (Saynes-Vásquez et al. 9). They also claim there has been a significant decrease in local botanical knowledge as a result of the change in occupational activities, from primary activities to secondary economic activities and services, which has forced a large portion of the population to have less contact with the natural surroundings (Saynes-Vásquez et al. 9). Their data suggests that formal education programs disregard local knowledge and encourage a change in cultural attitudes that support a more urban lifestyle, while deflecting the attention away from nature and the local natural environment (Saynes-Vásquez et al. 9). In addition, schooling is also a contributing factor, as it encourages neglect of the native tongue which Saynes-Vásquez et al. describe as the “fundamental instrument of transmission of local knowledge” (9). Lastly, ethnobotanical knowledge itself is decreasing rapidly due increased deforestation (Saynes-Vásquez et al. 9).
Classification Systems
Traditional classification systems are examples of expressions in traditional knowledge, and, for the Zapotecs, knowledge that is produced through daily exchanges with plants and animals, as well as elements such as climate and soil, is organized and integrated in distinct ways (Luna-José 2).A study that aimed to both (1) describe traditional ecological knowledge through classification and (2) determine the role this knowledge plays in plant resource management and conservation, was conducted in the Zapotec municipality of San Agustín Loxicha, in the Sierra Sur of Oaxaca. The Zapotecs of this region heavily rely on agriculture and gathering of forest products to support themselves, and it is their connection with nature in daily life that has allowed for knowledge to be constructed about plant resources (Luna-José 2).This knowledge is reflected in traditional classification systems, particularly the plant classification system. Luna-José and Aguilar found that based on both ecological and morphological characteristics, the Zapotecs name and group plants in a hierarchic system; however, they not only recognize, name and classify plants that are useful to them for medicinal or nutritional purposes, but also plants that don’t offer an immediate use (Luna-José 10). Due to the different strategies Zapotecs have developed through generations, such as using plants for timber, food and medicine, and being in charge of their own productive systems (milpa, etc.), they have become experts in their field through experimentation and hold a high level of traditional ecological knowledge (Luna-José 11).
3: Foodways
As a reminder: foodways may be understood as the beliefs, behaviors, and practices surrounding the production, distribution, preparation, and consumption of food. Zapotec traditional agriculture systems used Milpa: squash, beans and maize, also known as the three sisters. Zapotec diets also included maguey, cacao, chilis, and a wide variety of wild plants. Spanish introduced new crops and domesticated animals to the Zapotec culture shortly after the conquest. Sugarcane, lettuce, onions, radishes, pomegranates, melons, and lemons are among the crops introduced by the Spaniards (Whitecotton 177). Today, Mexican cuisine is a fusion of native and new crops. In this section we will focus on two native crops: squashes and maguey.
Squashes
In Mexico, squashes, pumpkins and gourds (Cucurbita spp.) were domesticated around 10,000 years ago. The wild forms of Cucurbita do not have a pleasant taste (bitter) to humans. Although wild Cucurbita species declined, they thrived in domestication, and there are now hundreds of different varieties of Cucurbita grown worldwide (Kistler et al. 1). Cucurbita varieties differ in shape, size, and flavor and Zapotecs have been using them for millennia as part of their diets (Mulík and Ozuna 1). Zapotecs eat not only the fruit, as you have probably tried before, but they also eat the young stem, seeds, leaves and blossoms. In Oaxaca, squash blossoms, also known as “flor de calabaza” or “flor de pipiana” are very popular and are sold in markets either alone or with other edible parts of the plant. The flower is sold in bunches by local producers. Once the flower has been removed from the plant, it has a relatively short shelf life (2-3 days in the fridge). That helps to explain why most of the flor de calabaza eaten in Oaxaca comes from nearby locations. Cucurbita is used in numerous recipes and preparation varies among Zapotec groups and families. For squash blossoms alone, more than 40 recipes that use them as the main ingredient have been documented (Mulík and Ozuna 4). The two most common ways to eat them are in soups and as a filling in a great variety of Mexican dishes such as tamales or quesadillas. However, nowadays, they are used in Mexican haute cuisine in salads and desserts.
Figure 2. Flor de calabaza getting ready to be cooked.
Figure 3. Quesadilla de flor de calabaza
Maguey
Maguey is generally grown in less fertile land, and it has a variety of uses. The use of maguey has changed with time. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the stock of the maguey was roasted and eaten, a syrup was made from the plant, and the maguey’s fibres were used for clothing for the peasant class (Whitecotton 134). Pulque, an alcoholic beverage made from maguey was also consumed. The production origin of Mezcal, another alcoholic beverage obtained from maguey, is still very controversial. Some anthropologists affirm it was not produced in pre-Spanish times (Whitecotton 134), while others suggest that Mezcal was produced up to 25 centuries before the Spanish arrived (Goguitchaichvili et al. 1). Even if we are not sure about its exact origin, mezcal is a great example of Indigenous foodways beyond food consumption, as it is often used in healing. In contrast to Western thinking, in the Zapotec cosmovision, the world is not segmented into physiological, psychological, social and cosmic phenomena (López-Sanchez and Douglas 237). In Indigenous communities, foods such as eggs and mezcal are frequently used in healing by curanderos. The two main illnesses they are used for are tiricia (sadness of the soul) and mal de ojo (evil eye) (López-Sanchez and Douglas 239). The treatment consists of a limpia (a spiritual cleansing)where an egg is passed over the body and broken open in a glass of water for the diagnosis. It is then followed by brushing the body with mezcal, basil, rue, and copal incense (López-Sanchez & Douglas 239).
Figure 4. Maguey is used to make Mezcal.
Mezcal also allows us to appreciate the role of globalization in Zapotec culture. Until a couple of years ago, Mezcal was not a word that foreigners would recognize while reading a drinks menu. However, in the last decade it has received a lot of media attention and exports have increased substantially (Bowen 128). Most of the exported Mezcal is produced by bigger distilleries that are able to profit from economies of scale and afford certification. Many of the small mezcal producers have been forced out of business (Bowen 130).
4: Agriculture
Agricultural Knowledge Systems
The Zapotec knowledge systems heavily stem from their knowledge of agricultural practices and their process of growing key crops. Referring back to the keywords, knowledge systems encompass practices, theories, instruments and people who together help acquire knowledge that contribute to the lifestyle of an Indigenous group. In context of the Zapotec, their large-scale success is heavily associated with the extensive and efficient development of agricultural technologies that allowed their community to grow squash, maize, and beans. Because the Zapotec were located in valleys and mountainous terrain, traditional farming methods as we know them would be difficult and inefficient. The Zapotec developed elevated agriculture technologies that would allow them to grow and sustain crops to feed their people. The Oaxaca valley allowed for an advantageous head start due to the large flat floor, high water table, low erosion rate and frost-free floodplain (Flannery et al. 446). As a result, the Zapotec also developed water features and land structures that facilitated the growth of squash and other key crops resulting in an abundance of nutrient filled food.
Barbecho rotation system
The Zapotec used the Barbecho rotation system that allowed land to be used and reused for agriculture purposes. As a refresher, Barbecho is when land is used for agriculture for 1- 2 years and then left to rest and re-fertilize for another 2-3 years. This agricultural technique allows land to re-establish nutrient-rich soil through a natural process, without causing long-term damage on the environment. This benefits both the Zapotec and the environment. Barbecho is reflective of the relationship the Zapotec have with nature. The Zapotec knew that if they were to obtain resources from the land, they must treat the land with care. This form of reciprocity shows how the Zapotec values are visible in many areas of their lifestyle, down to the cultivation of their food.
Canal Irrigation
Irrigation systems are one of the earliest forms of efficient pumping to date. These were multipurpose systems that facilitated water access used for the drainage of waste, farming and personal uses. Canal irrigation is a type of irrigation system that was used in Zapotec communities which was particularly important for agriculture. These water channels ran through the agricultural terrain and provided water from a water source (usually a dam) to farms located in different areas. The objective of this practice is to facilitate water access and to also reduce crop failure caused by erosion and degradation of water quality. By using water channels, it also created efficient use of water by minimizing conveyance losses from seepage or structural failure. As a result, canal irrigation became a key technology that contributed to the success rate of crop growth due to its multipurpose benefits in agriculture.
Terrace farming
As mentioned earlier, the Oaxacan valleys made it difficult to use the same farming methods as used on flat surfaces. The solution was to work with the land by implementing a technique that would support crop growth. As a result, Terrace farming became an innovation used by the Zapotec that contributed to successful food production. Terrace farming is a level farming technique that is distinguished for its step-like structure. It is useful in mountainous terrain, valleys or hills because it is the most efficient to sustain crops and prevent ecological damage. The small plateau of each level plays a number of significant roles to the sustainability of crops. Firstly, it prevents water from seeping down the hill, ensuring that crops receive sufficient water. This also prevents soil erosion from occurring, which is also a way to keep nutrients from draining down the land. Secondly, the level-like structure also acts as a form of stability on uneven ground: this prevents mudslides from occurring and ruining farmland and growing crops. Terrace farming was and continues to be a commonly used technique in many areas of the world. Due to its innovative structure, it provided the ability to farm on rugged land helping support and sustain civilizations.
Figure 5. Terrace farming was one of the knowledge systems used by the Zapotecs.
Agricultural changes
For more than 5000 years, the Zapotec have developed and evolved techniques for producing, processing, preserving and preparing squash and other crops… to the point that agricultural surpluses supported a series of civilizations, including that of the Olmec, Maya, Toltec, Aztec Zapotec and Mixtec (Gonzalez, Robert 1). Even though pre-Hispanic cultivation techniques are still being used (Gonzalez 2), globalization and modern technology have impacted farming for the Zapotec. Since the Spanish colonial era, animal driven plows have been used instead of performing the labour firsthand and in the 1960’s, the introduction of pesticides have also been utilized to ensure the survival of crops against pests. Although terrace farming and canal irrigations are still part of the farming units in Oaxaca, farmers of Zapotec descent now utilize modern farming methods to facilitate the growth of these crops. Furthermore, farmers are becoming more involved in larger/global markets, and therefore require modern technology in order to produce larger quantities of food and meet the demands of large-scale markets.
5: Globalization
NAFTA
The North American Free Trade Agreement, also known as NAFTA, is a classic example of globalization that had a significant impact on the Indigenous peoples of Mexico. Oaxaca was no exception to the impacts of this agreement, which promised to bring prosperity, modernity, and overall improvements to quality of life. When NAFTA eliminated trade barriers across the North American continent, farmers were promised access to international markets — theoretically creating great demand for locally produced crops such as corn. In reality, the elimination of tariffs and political tensions between Mexico and the United States were carried out in tandem with subsidies for American corn farmers, meaning that unreasonably cheap GM corn flooded the Mexican market (Bacon). Mexican imports of agricultural products, including corn, surged to all time highs and migration from Oaxaca began to flow in the opposite direction. To this end, Bacon highlights that prior to NAFTA, “Indigenous people made up 7 percent of Mexican migrants” to the United States, while several years later, this group accounted for 29 percent (Bacon). Even for those who have resisted migration, the effects of both European colonization and more recent forms of globalization have led to distinct reductions in traditional agricultural practices, with many farmers transitioning toward commercialized crops and methods of farming (Soleri et al. 286).
“Usos y Costumbres”
In many ways the story of NAFTA epitomizes the globalization process in Oaxaca. The process of modernization, centralization, and consolidation of power at the national level often stands opposed to the historical cultures of Indigenous groups. This is especially true for the Zapotec people, whose geographic separations enforced many distinctions within their society. The transition from colonial subjugation to independence, the Mexican Revolution, and many events including the adoption of NAFTA were characterized by inextricable links to “global frameworks and market economies” which stand at odds with the plurality of Indigenous customs (Dürr 91). Efforts to homogenize Mexico at a national level, in an attempt to join the global framework, lead to the elimination of important cultural practices such as communal land use and customary tenure (Dürr 93). While the march of neoliberalism continues to challenge the Indigenous ways of life in Mexico, the preservation of tradition and culture has not been forgotten entirely. Usos y Costumbres is a system used in Oaxaca by which the plurality of traditional values, hierarchies, and methods of conflict resolution are integrated with national law. While Usos y Costumbres strive to acknowledge the diversity of cultures within Mexico and preserve the communal autonomy of indigenous peoples, this system itself is an example of the conflict between the increasingly homogenous structure of the nation and the granularity of its ancient cultures. Customary law, upon which Usos y Costumbres operates, “is primarily based on reciprocity, compromise, consent and discourse” all of which revolve around context and communal cohesion (Dürr 98). In contrast to this, capitalism and neoliberalism dictate that laws must be abstractly formulated and encoded to be applied universally.
Globalization has engendered the drive for political consensus, clear ideas of private ownership, and formal economic institutions in an effort to attract foreign investment. While this foreign investment can become beneficial to the country’s economy at large, the consolidation of industries such as farming causes undeniable harm to traditional foodways, viability of ancestral geographies, and incentive towards urban resettlement (Saynes-Vásquez et al. 9).
6: Conclusions
In closing, we would like to share the word “Guelaguetza” which, in Zapotec, means reciprocal exchange of gifts and services (Whiteford 1). Historically, Guelaguetza was a popular Zapotec community celebration based on reciprocity, but with time it has evolved to incorporate Catholic traditions and meet tourist demands. Nowadays, Guelaguetza is one of the biggest festivities in the State of Oaxaca, where the Zapotec together with other Indigenous groups of Oaxaca share their languages, dances and traditions. We invite you to watch the following Guelaguetza video featuring Academy Award winner, Yalitzia Aparicio.
Bacon, David. “Globalization and NAFTA caused migration from Mexico.” The Public Eye (2014): 19-21.
Bowen, Sarah. Divided Spirits: Tequila, Mezcal, and the Politics of Production, University of California Press, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central,https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ubc/detail.action?docID=2025587.
Britannica. “Terrace cultivation.” The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica,https://www.britannica.com/topic/terrace-cultivation. Accessed 11 November 2020.
De Lourdes Luna-José, Azucena, and Beatriz Rendón Aguilar. “Traditional knowledge among Zapotecs of Sierra Madre Del Sur, Oaxaca. Does it represent a base for plant resources management and conservation?.” Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 8.1 (2012): 24
Durr, Eveline. “Translating Democracy: Customary Law and Constitutional Rights in Mexico.” Sites: a Journal of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies, vol. 2, no. 2, 2005, pp. 91 118., doi:10.11157/sites-vol2iss2id66.
Flannery, Kent V et al. “Farming Systems and Political Growth in Ancient Oaxaca: Physiography features and water-control techniques contributed to the rise of Zapotec Indian civilization.” Science. New York, vol. 158,3800 (1967): 445-54. doi:10.11.1126/science.158.3800.445
Goguitchaichvili, Avto, et al. “Archaeomagnetic evidence of pre-Hispanic origin of Mezcal.” Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 21 (2018): 504-511.
González, Roberto J., and Project Muse University Press eBooks. Zapotec Science: Farming and Food in the Northern Sierra of Oaxaca. University of Texas Press, Austin, 2001.
Joyce, Arthur A. Mixtecs, Zapotecs, and Chatinos: ancient peoples of southern Mexico. Vol. 15. John Wiley & Sons, 2011.
Kistler, Logan, et al. “Gourds and squashes (Cucurbita spp.) adapted to megafaunal extinction and ecological anachronism through domestication.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112.49 (2015): 15107-15112.
Lopez Sanchez, Oliva, and Douglas C. Nance. ““Something Born of the Heart”: Culturally Affiliated Illnesses of Older Adults in Oaxaca.” Issues in Mental Health Nursing 41.3 (2020): 235-242.
Mulík, Stanislav, and César Ozuna. “Mexican edible flowers: cultural background, traditional culinary uses, and potential health benefits.” International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science (2020): 100235.
Nader, L. 989 ‘The Crown, the Colonists, and the Course of Zapotec Village Law’, in J. Starr and J. F. Collier (eds) History and Power in the Study of Law, Ithaca/London: Cornell University Press: 320–344.
Pavón, Juan Carlos Pérez Velasco. “Economic behavior of indigenous peoples: the Mexican case.” Latin American Economic Review 23.1 (2014): 12.
Saynes-Vásquez, Alfredo, et al. “Cultural change and loss of ethnoecological knowledge among the Isthmus Zapotecs of Mexico.” Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine 9.1 (2013): 40.
Soleri, Daniela Aragón, et al. “Food Globalization and Local Diversity.” Current Anthropology, vol. 49, no. 2, 2008, pp. 281–290., doi:10.1086/527562.
United States Department of Agriculture. Irrigation Canal or Lateral. Natural Resources Conservation Service.www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs143_026512.pd
Whitecotton, Joseph W. The Zapotecs: Princes, priests, and peasants. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1984.
Whitford, Michelle. “Oaxaca’s indigenous Guelaguetza festival: Not all that Glistens is Gold.” Event Management 12.3-4 (2008): 143-161.
“The feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially because of inability to change or achieve something.”
This week’s material reminded me of my frustration growing up. I think I say it every blog, but in case you didn’t know, I am from Oaxaca. Oaxaca is one of the states in Mexico with the lowest GDP per capita. My house is downtown, and I remember asking my parents why couldn’t we give money to people (very often children) on the streets? They told me that giving them money was not the solution, that it only created negative loops and that we didn’t know what they would use the money for and that helping was more complicated, etc… However, nobody was able to tell me what the solution was.
Frustration
La Hija de la Laguna movie reminded me of the nonsense we live in. I knew many resources are being used for gold extraction, but I haven’t reflected on the fact that we are using resources to take gold out of the ground to store it back on the ground. The only difference is that the second time is probably under the security chambers of a fancy bank in Switzerland.
Nonsense
I could keep going, but I am going to stop. Please let me know if you also felt frustrated engaging with this week’s material.
Vaca Suiza, verano 2019
“Indeed, Garret Hardin could not have written his ‘Tragedy of the Commons’ had he studied how Swiss cheese came to his refrigerator (Netting, 1981). ” cited in this week’s reading.
References
Caffentzis, G., & Federici, S. (2014). Commons against and beyond capitalism. Community Development Journal, 49(suppl_1), i92-i105.
Netting, R. (1981) Balancing on an Alp: Ecological Change and Continuity in a Swiss Mountain Village, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
This unit’s material was very special to me, I smiled and I cried. Chef Olvera’s Netflix episode made me feel proud to be Mexican. He made me proud and grateful to be born in Oaxaca. After the episode, I watched Rigoberta Menchu’s film, I got frustrated and sad about the injustices she had to experience. The reading about Brocolli (Benson & Fischer, 2007) made me think about the word desire differently.
When Chef Olvera says ” I want to retire to Oaxaca” or “If it were for me, I would have moved to Oaxaca already”. I got goosebumps. I realized how much I miss my family, my food and my culture. The fact that it was Día de Muertos did not help with my nostalgia.
I miss sharing a dish of chapulines (picture 1), I miss drinking a cup of hot chocolate with pan de Muertos, I miss visiting my grandma and eating her frijoles de olla. I miss sharing food with my family. I miss my Sunday enmoladas, and having mezcalinis with my friends.
As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, in my home city we have endless issues. Social inequality, poverty, educational backwardness, gender violence, and corruption do not surprise anyone anymore. As citizens, we are always disagreeing. However, no matter your social status, your political view, or your religion, we can all bond over food.
To be honest, I just want more people to know about Oaxaca.
If you are thinking about a trip post-quarantine to Mexico, you should definitely consider visiting Oaxaca. I can assure you, you won’t regret it, and your palate would thank you.
Picture 1: Chapulines, Los Pacos, Oaxaca 2019
Picture 2: Mi maleta antes de volver a Vancouver, Oaxaca 2019
Picture 3: Gusanitos de Maguey, Mercado 20 de Noviembre, Oaxaca 2019
References
Benson, P., & Fischer, E. F. (2007). Broccoli and desire. Antipode, 39(5), 800-820.
I would like to reflect on Cosmology. As an overthinker, I like questioning my purpose and existence. For that reason, I was surprised to learn what cosmology meant. “Cosmology is the union of all of these sciences, focused on understanding how the universe came to be, how it has evolved, and how it will continue to change in the future.” The analysis of how cosmology varies between Latin America and the West was eye-opening. Realizing that indigenous look at the universe from nature and spiritual perspective, while western societies tend to focus more on calculable science, made me reflect on my own life experiences.
My mom believes in energy. When we were little, she would use indigenous (Zapotec and Chatina) traditions (p.8) that she learned from my grandma to take away the “mal de ojo” (bad energies). She would do it by passing an egg over us and then breaking the egg on a glass of water. She has done it since we were babies. However, it was never a problem for me until I started growing up. I started getting very critical and skeptical about all of her methods. Honestly, it didn’t make sense to believe that passing an egg around someone’s body would have any real effect. I started to even get ashamed that my mom believed that, and I tried really hard to convince her that there was no way that her traditions worked.
This class made me rethink my own ideas and be more open to other ways of seeing life. Learning how western knowledge has been imposed and how indigenous knowledge is not always recognized made me do more research on the topic. I now feel ashamed of feeling ashamed about my mom’s traditions.
I am not from Peru, and I have never been to Peru. However, learning about shamans through the podcast and readings resonated with me. The material allowed me to reflect on how cultures have adapted first to the colonizers’ arrival and, more recently, to meet tourist demands.
I am from a city in which one of its principal economic activities is tourism. My family works in the hospitality sector, and without foreigners coming to “consume” our culture, I wouldn’t be taking this class at UBC.
I want to reflect on two things this week: the word “authentic” and the idea that our cultures change to meet tourists’ expectations.
Authentic?
Have you ever been to a restaurant that serves food from your country of origin with a group of international friends? Well, I bet you were asked if the food was “authentic.” But what does even authentic mean? In that situation, I would say that authenticity would be that food tastes like home. However, that is such a subjective definition. Who chooses what is authentic and what is not? Why do we care so much?
I like the food because it is constantly changing. Most of the Mexican cuisine is the explosion of indigenous and Spanish flavours. (e.g. Chiles en Nogada, buñuelos, Rosca de Reyes). So why are we so afraid of food changing?
I have tried food in Mexican restaurants abroad, and yes, most of the time, they do not taste exactly the same as what I am used home. However, most of the time, they are great! It is very unrealistic to expect every single restaurant to taste the same! There are many reasons why dishes taste different. Restaurant owners substitute the “authentic” ingredient that the “authentic” recipe calls for because either the ingredient is not available or it is too expensive. Are they attempting against the “authenticity” of the food? I don’t think so.
In my opinion, we should be open to change, not only in our ideas but also in our food preferences.
Meeting tourists’ expectations
I had the opportunity to go with a couple of friends to a medicinal centre in my state’s mountains. We wanted to have the “experience” of the temazcal and “una limpia.” The reading made me rethink my experience and my incentives to go there in the first place. With this type of tourism, are we helping the community, or are we just extracting their knowledge for our amusement? Should we promote this type of tourism? If it is local tourism, is it okay? Or is it the same as having Canadian or European tourists? What do the people working on the medicinal centre think about tourists? Do they want tourists to stop coming?
Let me know what you think…
Picture 1,2,3 – Capulalpan de Mendez, Oaxaca, Mexico. Summer 2017
This is not my first food-related class, and it would definitely not be the last one. It was hard for me to choose from all the words that were analyzed, but I decided to talk about “Food systems” as it can encompass all the other terms in one way or another.
I was first introduced to the Food Systems concept in my first year at university. I mean, I am in the Faculty of Land and FOOD SYSTEMS. You may or may not be surprised to learn that everyone in my faculty must take LFS 100, LFS 250, and LFS 350, classes that teach us about food systems in BC and worldwide. Dr. William Valley, my professor for two of those classes, challenged my way of thinking. He introduced me to system thinking, wicked problems and to approach food more holistically.
I used to think about food systems as a linear process. However, food systems are everything but linear. The more I study food, the more I realize how complex it can be. Reading the food systems definition, I was surprised to see that waste management was not included. I think that studying food waste is as important as analyzing food production and distribution. Mostly when 35% of our food is being wasted.
I could keep talking about food systems all night long, but instead of stating what I have learned in my previous classes. I started thinking as well about all the things I haven’t yet explore. I grew up in Oaxaca, which is one of the poorest states in Mexico, one with the highest numbers of Indigenous communities, and known in Mexico for its food. I have known these facts for a long time, but I haven’t taken the time to think about the connection between them. This is not my first food class, but my first Indigenous studies class, and I can’t wait to keep learning.
Picture 1 – Duo de moles – Zandunga, Oaxaca, Mexico
Picture 2 – Quesillo, Chapulines, y emoladas, El Coronita, Oaxaca, Mexico
One of my favourite things to do when I am in a new place is visiting grocery stores. I like walking on the aisles, looking at different products and letting myself be amazed by the diversity (or in some areas, lack of diversity). I look at the prices and convert them to my home currency. If I understand the language, I sometimes look at the ingredients, especially those I have never seen before.
I enjoyed the three readings for this week, but Food: The Key Concepts (Belasco, 2008)really resonated with me. Telling people I am in the faculty of Land and Food Systems often comes with a couple of confused looks, and if the person is curious, a couple of questions.
Belasco helped me express why food systems should be studied and why I decided to study food. I liked how he talks about food and the optimism with which he addresses some of the current issues of our food systems, such as the “true cost” of food. I also liked how the author emphasizes the importance of academia towards better food systems instead of creating polarization between academics and grassroots movements. I will send him an email to see if he wants to grab virtual coffee with me (wish me luck)…
I also really enjoyed the media studies reading. Although I have been learning in a somatically and a symbolically way my entire life, it was nice to understand the difference between both types of learning.
Question from me to you: Do you visit grocery stores when you travel?
Picture 1 – Chedraui supermercado, Oaxaca, 2019.
Picture 2 – COOP, Switzerland, 2019.
Picture 3 – My dad visiting grocery stores with me in Richmond, 2019.
Quotes that I found and liked on this week readings:
” Our daily life is a trip around the wo
rld, yet the wonder of it gives us not a single thrill. We are oblivious” (East, 1994, as cited in Belasco, 2008).
“Food identifies who we are, where we came from, and what we want to be.”(Belasco, 2008)
My name is Fernanda Díaz-Osorio (She/her/hers). I was born and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Growing up, I had lunch almost daily at my parents’ restaurants. I think that experience, without me realizing it, made me want to better understand the food systems.
In 8th grade, I lived in a boarding school in Switzerland and in 11th grade in Haute Normandie, France. One of the things I remember the most about both experiences is the food.
I am a senior student in the faculty of Land and Food Systems in the Global Resource Systems (GRS) program. I am a soil lover, and I enjoy Econ classes. My GRS program allowed me to learn first hand from different farmers. I love spending time at the UBC Farm and visiting farms in British Columbia. Two summers ago, I took an Agroecology program and worked on a lamb farm in Lyon, France. My time on the farm made me want to learn more about food systems directly from the producers. Last summer, to keep learning, I decided to do some volunteering on a farm-cooperative in Belgium.
I am in love with my GRS program. It has allowed me to acquire a solid scientific foundation while exploring my interests from a more holistic approach, taking classes from across all faculties. While I have studied European food systems for the last couple of years, I realized I had not taken the time to explore, academically, Latin American food systems. That is why I ended up here. I was browsing my SSC, and I found this class. I read the description and felt like it was written for me (obviously it wasn’t).
I am very excited to keep learning about food from Dr. Mitchell and from all of you.
Picture 1: Tomatoes, Las Quince Letras, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Picture 2: December 2018, Museo de Filatelia, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Picture 3: Summer 2019, Ferme de Froidefontaine, Barcy, Belgium.
