Estudio de los animales de traspatio en la cultura tzotzil chamula

Resum

This research was conducted in three Tzotzil localities from Chamula, Chiapas (Mexico), with the aim of studying current terms of the livelihood of the indigenous family, backyard, with focus on livestock production. This work was performed under the guidance and advice of a multidisciplinary group of experts in sustainable rural development, family economy and animal genetic resources conservation; and the valuable accompaniment of two Tzotzil translators. This thesis was performed with a qualitative approach, and for fieldwork conventional methodological and participatory tools were used. The information obtained addresses the household production unit, the functionality of the backyard livestock resource, local conservation strategies and animal genetic improvement, the Tzotzil socio-cultural dynamics associated with domestic animal breeding and the role of women as a key element in family production unit. Field results were analyzed in qualitative and quantitative terms, generating different conclusions organized into five lines, which highlights the following: 1) In the current Tzotzil context dominated nuclear family (5.7 average members) family is active in land under 1 ha, organizing its productive force in domestic labor, following cultural schemes for the allocation of agricultural tasks, livestock and domestic. 2) Livestock production backyard is held in sheep production (6.5 herd of sheep race Chiapas on average) and poultry (chicken flock 11-25), based on local resources; both activities, provide to the family food, income and cultural elements as traditional and ritual clothing supplies; also it includes other animal groups with guard duties and protection, savings and company in everyday life. Animal care is a responsibility given to women culturally, they begin this task from the empirical knowledge that mothers and grandmothers passed on to girls, who perfected the craft through their daily practice; they know the needs of their families from the context in which they live and work that axis selected and animal reproduction, unknowingly becoming an empirical improver of local breeds. 4) Traditions, beliefs, and customs of the Tzotzil-Chamula culture, have determined the manner currently domestic animals are bred, characterizing the relationship of women with their animals and decreeing their differential treatment to different species, within batsi chij (sheep) which is the favorite; and 5) the Tzotzil woman is an element of contribution and support in the agricultural production; she is multifaceted, has a daily workload of more than 17 hours and is responsible for the cultural-historical transmission; she is also delegated to the Chamula family to form the next generation, and responsible for the reproduction of their social group. Women and backyard form a combination that works for the safety of the Tzotzil family through the use and conservation of local resources; this binomial faces an unfair fight to maintain the ancestral heritage protected in the backyard (knowledge, identity, animals, plants, history, culture and food sovereignty), against inadequate public policies and subsidies generators dependence, it is necessary to consolidate their strengths and solve situations that threaten it.