Los Abuelos Árboles y los árboles de nuestros abuelos
In 2021 the agroecological school of U Yits Ka’an organized two workshops on “the conservation of the trees of our elders,” which took place in Valladolid and in Maní. The aim of the workshops was to transmit the expertise rooted in Mayan culture on the caretaking, reproduction, and conservation of native trees. It was conceived to promote an understanding for the role the trees play in providing a healthy diet and to make a practical contribution to the caring cultivation of the forest. In the two workshops, elders shared stories and legends surrounding the trees. As described by a U Yits Ka'an text: “Each of these stories contains characters, morals, teachings, values, and a series of elements that could be useful for our struggles and our life choices.” The participants explored the benefits of the forests as a source of medicine and food and as a habitat for Melipona bees, while also discussing the ongoing threats posed by the logging industry, from deforestation for the benefit of industrial agriculture, and from other mega-projects.
Part of the workshop was also the presentation of conservation practices to establish ecological sanctuaries, and practitioners shared practical skills on grafting. The group visited agroforestry projects like Tixcacalcupul. Additionally, community radio XEPET - La Voz de los Mayas recorded the stories of the elders for further dissemination.
Evaluating the experiences of the workshops, U Yits Ka'an decided to produce a recorded version of the stories of the tree elders with the communal radio XEPET - La Voz de los Mayas. The goal of the recordings was to "archive" and also further disseminate the stories and knowledges of older Maya generations beyond the community. All recordings were also transcribed and translated to make them available in both Maya and Spanish to a wider public. In addition to the recordings, four local farmers from different communities were invited to share their stories and knowledges. Technical support for the recordings was provided by Pacífico Studios/Sureste Studios.
After assessing the outreach and feedback of the Abuelos Árboles recordings, a new idea emerged with U Yits Ka’an, namely, to produce a radio play. With music, sounds and a playful and dynamic story line, the radio play is mainly directed at children. Poet and writer Janil Uc Tun created the scripts based on the transcribed stories of the tree elders, and Salomé Ricalde will direct their adaptation into a radio play. In eight episodes it tells the story of Felicitas, a young student, who learns about the village of Yuum Báalam Kaaj, its surrounding ecosystem, its culture and cosmovision, through the stories of the village elders.
Rehearsals for the first episode of the radio play with E. Hoil, M.Yamá, N. Canché, N. Moo, I. Gutiérrez, S. ArandaThe radio play is thought of as a cultural and educational tool that is imagined to be used – in combination with additional learning materials – in schools, theatre plays, community reunions, or other communal activities, to address the cultural importance, healing and nutritional properties of trees in the face of the environmental challenges of today. To follow the local oral tradition, while at the same time making the tool accessible to a wider audience, the radio play will be combining Yucatec Maya and Spanish.
Currently rehearsals for the recording of the first episode are taking place. The production of the radio play, as well as the composition of musical themes and field recordings are realized by Alejandro J. Castillo Pinto from Pacifico Studios.
Nicte-Ha Kú Canché, Abrahán Collí Tun and Mariana Yamá discussing the script at the studio.
Almost a year later, the production of the radio play is completed. The eight episodes invite the listeners to accompany Felicitas, a young student from the village of Mozón on her journey to Yuum Báalam Kaaj, where she gets to know the grandmother and grandfather trees of the village, their surrounding ecosystem, and the culture and cosmovision connected with them.
The radio play is in Spanish and Yucatec Maya.
All episodes are available online here and on Spotify.
Conversations around the trees, their significance, medicinal and nutritional value at the agroecological school U Yits Ka'an
The actress Nirva Gonzáles Moo in the recording studio
Itzel de la Cruz Gutiérrez and Alejandro Castilla Pinto while recording the pilot episode