'Q'eqchi' Maya Reproductive Ethnomedicine and Women's Healing Traditions in Belize'

Jillian M. De Gezelle, Ph.D., Teaching Assistant Professor, Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, NC State University

The Q'eqchi' Maya of Belize have an extensive pharmacopoeia of medicinal plants used traditionally for reproductive health and fertility. Ethnobotanical research with six traditional healers, three midwives, and 12 female herbalists determined that the Belizean Q'eqchi' are using more than 60 plant species for reproductive health treatments. Ten species used to treat female infertility, male infertility, menopausal symptoms, heavy menstruation, uterine fibroids, Q'eqchi' womb disorder, miscarriage prevention, female contraception, and male contraception were selected for investigation of their estrogenic activity using a reporter gene assay. Nine of the species assayed showed estrogenic activity, four also showed antiestrogenic activity, and two of the extracts were cytotoxic to the breast cancer cell line used in the assay. Women's healing traditions are being lost in the Q'eqchi' communities of Belize at an accelerated rate due to a combination of factors including: migration disrupting familial lines of knowledge transmission, perceived disapproval by biomedical authorities, women's limited mobility due to domestic obligations, and lack of confidence stemming from the devaluation of women's traditional knowledge. Q'eqchi' medicinal plant knowledge is highly gendered with women and men commonly using different plant species. Revitalizing women's healing practices is vital for maintaining the traditional knowledge needed to provide comprehensive healthcare for Belize's most remote indigenous populations.

Photograph by Luisovalles