Biocultural Calendar of the Mahsewal Miltsin (sacred Milpa)

Biocultural Heritage of the Northeastern Sierra of Puebla, Mexico

Bibliographic Data

ID19487590
AuthorsMaría Isabel Palestina González (0000-0002-6075-7991, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur), Miriam Aldasoro (0000-0001-5411-7499, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur)
Year2026
Volume15
Publication date2026-05-24
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEthnobiology and Conservation (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2238-4782 • E-ISSN: 2238-4782
PublisherUniversidade Estadual da Paraiba/Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (Ethnobiology and Conservation) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.15451/ec2026-05-15-11-1-22
OpenAlexW7162239494
LanguageEN
References cited38

Introduction: The milpa is an emblematic agricultural system in which corn, squash, beans, chili peppers, tomatoes, quelites, shrubs and fruit trees coexist. It is a cornerstone of Mexico's biocultural heritage. Within the framework of biocultural heritage, this study explores the complex relationships between the Mahsewal (Nahua) people and the milpa in the highlands of Yaonáhuac, Puebla. Methods: The research employed an ethnographic approach including in-depth interviews, participant observation of daily and ritual practices, field visits to milpas, and two wisdom dialogue circles. The results were systematized through a biocultural calendar, a methodological tool that illustrates the interrelation between ritual-religious cycles, perceptions of time and space, agricultural cycle and affective dimensions. Results and discussion: Thirteen ritual-religious activities and twenty-two agricultural activities associated with the milpa were documented over the course of an annual cycle. The Mahsewal language reveals profound affection and respect for the sacred sustenance provided by the elements of nature. These values are embodied in agricultural work and in all aspects of life, forming part of the wisdom of Mahsewal people. One notable aspect is the reciprocity found in religious rituals, seeking to harmonize with the manifestations of nature and the cosmos for the benefit of the Mahsewal Miltsin. These practices underscore the resilience of contemporary knowledge while reaffirming cultural identity. Conclusion: The Mahsewal Miltsin represents a living biocultural heritage of the highlands of Yaonáhuac and the Northeastern Sierra of Puebla, Mexico. It offers valuable insights into the continuity of Indigenous knowledge and its contribution to biocultural diversity. Tahtolkonet Tahkuilolpewalis: In miltokalis se milahtekit ton weyi ixpowi, pos onpa sentih in miltsin, ayohtsin, etsin, chil, tomat, kilit, pahsolxiwit, wan taakilkuawit. Nonhon yehwa ika motaixkechia in wehkawkayo milahixpanolis weyaltepet Mexko. Ihkon kemeh motahtani itech in wehkawkayo milahixpanolis, nihin taixyehyekolis kitstinemik keniw nochi senpilkatokeh in altepekayomahsewalmeh wan in miltsin, nepaka ahkopa taltikpak Yaonáhuac, Puebla. Ihkuin mochiw: In weyi ixyehyekolis mochiw ika in mahsewalixpanolis kanpa semi tikintatsintokihkeh keniw motekitiliah, wan no iniwan titewantikeh seki tonalmeh kanpa tikitakeh keniw ilwitih, no miakpa timilahtachiatoh, wan ohpa timosentalihkah kanpa timonohnotskeh ika in milahtekit. Nochi in milahtekitilis tiktekpankeh itech se tonalpowal-milahixpanolis, se tamapalewil ton teyeknextilia keniw iwan pilkatok in xiwkayotekit wan in tiopantsinkoilwitsin, keniw tonalpowah wan ixpanowah, no in xiwkayomilahtekit wan keniw kiikneliah in miltsin. Keniw timoixyehyekohkeh: Tikopinkeh mahtakti eyi takachiwalis tiopantsinko-ilwitsitsin wan senpualome milahtekitilis itech in weyi xiwit. In Mahsewaltahtol weyi kiiknelia wan kitakaita in tomostayantsin ton techtayokoliah in wehweyi tamatinimeh. Nihin takamatil kinextiah itech in milahtekit wan no ika ixpanotioweh, kanpa kiixpowah kemeh weyi taixmatil in altepekayomeh Mahsewalmeh. Weyi technextiliah keniw nochin mosenpalewiah ika in tiopantsinko-ilwitsin, kanpa kitemowah keniw kinyolpaktiskeh in wehweyi tamatinimeh ton nemih ne talokanilwiyak, wan mah kitiochiwakan in Mahsewalmiltsin. Nihin takachiwalis kinextia keniw moweyichiwaok in axkanpa ixtamatilkayot, wan no ihkon kiyeknextia in mahsewalixpanolis. Ihkuin tikitakeh: In Mahsewalmiltsin kinextia keniw kitakamatihok axkanpa in wehkawkayo milahixpanolis ne ahkopa taltikpak Yaonáhuac wan no onpaka Tepetah Tanipatonalix Puebla, Mexko. Tenextilia miak taman, keniw in Mahsewalixtamatil momoyawtiwitsok axkanpa wan keniw weyi tapalewia itech miak taman milahixpanolis

Agriculture · Ethnography · Indigenous · Participant observation · Reciprocity (cultural anthropology) · Sustenance · Traditional knowledge · Biochemical and biochemical processes · Environmental and Cultural Studies in Latin America and Beyond · Ethnobotanical and Medicinal Plants Studies

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