Revitalizing endangered mycocultural heritage in Mesoamerica: The case of the Tlahuica‐<i>Pjiekakjoo</i> culture

Social Impact Statement The preservation and revitalization of mycocultural heritage, developed over centuries of human‐mushroom interaction, contributes to safeguarding both natural ecosystems and the promotion of sustainable rural development, one of the biggest global challenges currently faced by humankind. This 10‐year study demonstrates that the Tlahuica‐ Pjiekakjoo people, a small ethnic group from Central Mexico, possess the highest reported mycocultural heritage of any other indigenous culture reported in the world. However, as only 50 people fluently speak their language, this culture is at risk of extinction. The preservation strategies followed over the last decade demonstrate that collaborative efforts among scientists, government, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders might alleviate the extinction of mycocultural heritage. Summary Currently, of approximately 7,000 languages spoken worldwide, nearly half are endangered, mainly those spoken by indigenous communities. This endangerment threatens the loss of ancient traditional knowledge concerning natural resources, including biocultural heritage. Mexico possesses the second largest mycocultural heritage globally, surpassed only by China, with over 500 species of edible wild mushrooms consumed within the country and 71 distinct ethnic groups. The consumption of mushrooms in Mexico spans for centuries, potentially dating back thousands of years. However, the mycological knowledge of many native cultures is rapidly disappearing at an unprecedented rate mainly due to acculturation, deforestation, and high migration rates. A 10‐year study was conducted on the mycocultural heritage of the Tlahuica‐ Pjiekakjoo people, who reside in central Mexico, analyzing their perception and use of mycological resources. Given that the survival of this culture is critically endangered—exemplified by the fact that only 50 individuals, all of whom are elderly, are fluent in their native language—parallelly we actively participated in initiatives aimed at preserving their valuable biocultural heritage. Our research documents that Tlahuica‐ Pjiekakjoo culture holds the most extensive mycocultural heritage reported globally for an ethnic group, with the ability to accurately distinguish and consume over 200 mushroom species. Finally, we outline the efforts undertaken over the past decade to preserve their traditional knowledge in a rapidly changing world. This work demonstrates that collaborative efforts of indigenous communities, scientists, government, and non‐governmental stakeholders can successfully mitigate the erosion of a corpus of knowledge, thereby ensuring the sustainable survival of mycophilic cultures.