Sounds, biodiversity, and local knowledge of the zoques from Tapalapa, Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

The relationship between native people and their sound environment constitutes an emerging field to know the value of the acoustic dimension in understanding the territory and the links between its natural and cultural components. Based on semi-structured interviews, we documented and analyzed the local knowledge of the zoques of Tapalapa, Chiapas, Mexico, about the sounds of their environment and the interactions, perceptions, and interpretations they have developed about them providing a perspective on their value for understanding and coexistence with biodiversity. Starting from the local sound classification system, we recognized cosmophonies as a category that makes the sound interpretations related to the Zoque worldview visible. The findings of this study highlight the value of species and ecosystems in a good state of conservation as a refuge for the wealth of sound signals, essential in community life, and invite a deeper understanding of the modernizing processes that have eroded the environmental sound heritage of the Tapalapa’s zoques. We conclude that the degradation of local ecosystems and their sound impacts the knowledge system, cultural identity, and the sense of belonging of the zoques.