Image above: Bumblebee
Jessica Hernandez is a Maya Ch’orti and Binnizá-Zapotec environmental scientist. She has written a book called, Fresh Banana Leaves that is published by Penguin Random House.
It educates us all about how to heal indigenous landscapes through indigenous science. This is a book of wisdom, and a path back to wholeness for us all.
Slowly but surely, it is clear to anyone who loves bees and pollinators, that the way we co-exist with these insects is not working for their benefit or for ours.
For too long the indigenous peoples of the world have been treated as inconsequential, and we have ignored their special relationship with nature.
According to Jessica Hernandez, the beekeepers of the Mayan Ich Eq community in Hopelchen, Mexico treat bees as relatives to the people. These indigenous people have cultivated them for hundreds of years, and they serve an important role in the economy.
This 0.38-second video book trailer by the author briefly discusses the book and shows the stunning cover:
The Mayan Ich Eq beekeepers are not the typical beekeepers we think of in the western world. They have a mutually reciprocal relationship with the bees. Community members care for them and ensure they are fed, and the bees share honey with the people, and do not sting them. It is a relationship built on mutual respect.
For those with time to watch this next 38:35-minute video by TeachEthnoBotany, it is definitely worth taking time to watch.
Fresh Banana Leaves is available at online booksellers and in bookstores now. Consider getting a copy and deliberating upon a whole new concept that is as old as time. It is working just fine for those who have practiced it for generations.