Xate
Encyclopedia
Xate are the leaves from 3 Chamaedorea
species of palm tree (Chamaedorea elegans
, Chamaedorea oblongata and Chamaedorea ernesti-augustii).http://www.belizebotanic.org/uploaded_images/xate-web-784761.jpg
The leaves are used in the floral industry because of their popularity for flower arrangements, Palm Sunday
services and funeral decoration.
Xate leaves are harvested by Xateros from palms in the forests of Mexico
, Guatemala
and Belize
. Xateros rely on the harvest of palm leaves. Unfortunately this has made an impact on the population of palms in the wild.
Xate, and particularly Chamaedorea ernesti-augustii (also called fishtail), has been overcollected in the forests of Guatemala
and Mexico
. Now xateros from Guatemala
cross the Belize
an border to cut the leaf. Xateros earn less than US$5 per day, and it is the exporters and middlemen who tend to benefit most.
In 2004 Axel Köhler and Tim Trench
produced a documentary film called Xateros about these commercial palm leaf collectors in Chiapas
' Lacandon Jungle
for the Proyecto Videoastas Indigenas de la Frontera Sur.http://sureste.ciesas.edu.mx/Proyectos/PVIFS/ingles/pvifs1.html
Chamaedorea
Chamaedorea is a genus of 107 species of palms, native to subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas.. The name is derived from the Greek words χαμαί , meaning "on the ground," and δωρεά , meaning "gift." It refers to the easily reached fruits or the plants' low-growing nature.Chamaedorea...
species of palm tree (Chamaedorea elegans
Chamaedorea elegans
Chamaedorea elegans, the Neanthe Bella Palm or Parlour Palm, is a small palm tree native to the rainforests in Southern Mexico and Guatemala.-Cultivation and uses:...
, Chamaedorea oblongata and Chamaedorea ernesti-augustii).http://www.belizebotanic.org/uploaded_images/xate-web-784761.jpg
The leaves are used in the floral industry because of their popularity for flower arrangements, Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....
services and funeral decoration.
Xate leaves are harvested by Xateros from palms in the forests of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
and Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
. Xateros rely on the harvest of palm leaves. Unfortunately this has made an impact on the population of palms in the wild.
Xate, and particularly Chamaedorea ernesti-augustii (also called fishtail), has been overcollected in the forests of Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Now xateros from Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
cross the Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
an border to cut the leaf. Xateros earn less than US$5 per day, and it is the exporters and middlemen who tend to benefit most.
In 2004 Axel Köhler and Tim Trench
Tim Trench (anthropologist)
Tim Trench is a anthropology professor at the Chapingo Autonomous University. He studied in Manchester, UK, and lives in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas....
produced a documentary film called Xateros about these commercial palm leaf collectors in Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
' Lacandon Jungle
Lacandon Jungle
The Lacandon Jungle is an area of rainforest which stretches from Chiapas, Mexico into Guatemala and into the southern part of the Yucatán Peninsula. The heart of this rainforest is located in the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas near the border with Guatemala in the Montañas del Oriente...
for the Proyecto Videoastas Indigenas de la Frontera Sur.http://sureste.ciesas.edu.mx/Proyectos/PVIFS/ingles/pvifs1.html