David W Francis

The Laughing Olmec David W Francis

The Laughing Olmec; a Guide to the Chimalapa Forest of MexicoThe Chimalapa forest is an untouched and little-visited rainforest of Oaxaca, Mexico. The people are the Zoque, descendents of the ancient Olmec, and their central village is Santa Maria Chimalapa. This old village of simple farmers is set at the edge of a pristine tropical forest. There is no record of anyone having ever been to the center of the forest. Outside forces are causing rapid changes in the way of life and in the beliefs of the villagers. At the same time they threaten the survival of the forest. The book focuses on the question of how the village-forest interaction will play out. Will the forest survive? Will the Zoque survive?Do not be put off by the fact that the format is that of a detailed travel guide. The book is a scholarly work, with chapters on history, the Zoque language, on the village way of life, and on the animals and plants. The bibliography lists 400 items. But other chapters tell the traveler how to get to the forest, how to hire a guide, and describe several possible back-country routes. The Chimalapa is not a big place - the central forest is only 50 miles across. But the problem that it presents is global - tropical forests are fast disappearing everywhere. By intensely examining one small example the book gives the reader a detailed picture of an interaction of village people with both the outer world and with a primeval forest, and presents him/her with data for thinking about possible future outcomes.