Community murals as tools of Indigenous botanical knowledge transmission

Indigenous cultural landscapes are shaped by traditional practices rooted in a deep knowledge of plants, their habitats and uses, among others. However, traditional mechanisms of knowledge transmission are under increasing pressure from colonialism, capitalism and globalization, leading to gradual loss of Indigenous botanical knowledge. In this collaborative project, we used community murals as a way to facilitate knowledge transmission about edible plants and mushrooms in two Totonac communities (Veracruz, Mexico). Both murals were painted on the exterior walls of primary schools, in areas highly frequented by people of all ages. The murals were designed to show (1) elements of the Totonac culture; (2) the knowledge transmission process; (3) the Totonac worldview; and (4) plant and mushroom species consumed by community members. The murals ‒ created with community members ‒ facilitated knowledge transmission vertically (e.g. between parents and children), obliquely (e.g. between school teachers and students), and horizontally (e.g. between children during school recess or between adult passersby). The community murals created with the communities of Heleodoro Dávila and La Cruz have proven effective to engage men and women, youth, adults and elders in the revival and protection of Indigenous botanical knowledge and cultural landscapes.