The legend of Achaneh: Socio-ecological knowledge in the oral tradition of fisherwomen in Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract

Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in an indigenous community of Veracruz, Mexico, traditional socio-ecological knowledge was identified embedded in the oral tradition of fisherwomen of the local community. The reflections presented show the educational potential of indigenous knowledge that, from their own epistemology, has allowed the inhabitants of this community to regulate the way in which they relate to each other and to their environment in a sustainable way over the centuries. The findings presented in this article bear testimony to the socio-environmental relevance of these local indigenous narratives as situated philosophies which are important to document so as to move towards a scenario of sustainability arising from a dialogue between the local and the global.