Mayan Women Work to Save Native Bees of Mexico Gwen Pearson - Wired
go to original March 6, 2014

A group of indigenous women are challenging ancient social norms in order to preserve an endangered species: the stingless bee known as Melipona Beecheii. Traditionally the prerogative of men in Mayan culture, beekeeping is providing this collective with a source of income and a reason to keep the species from going extinct. (Storyhunter)

So much bee news lately is gloomy, I thought it would be nice to highlight a happy story. Central America has a centuries-long history of native bee keeping; the Madrid Codex, one of three surviving Mayan books, describes bees and beekeeping in detail.  Mayans called their bees Xunan kab, which translates as “royal lady bees.”

Above is an interview with Anselma Chale Euan, President of the Co’oleel Caab Collective in Yucatan, Mexico. Her women’s collective is practicing meliponiculture, or stingless beekeeping, a traditionally male job in Mayan culture. The video will make you smile.

Read the rest at Wired

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