The Politics of Ecology: Local Knowledge and Wild Chili Collection in Sonora, Mexico

In northern Mexico the collection of wild chilies, known in Sonora as chiltepines, has long been practiced during the months of September through January. Those involved with the collection of these small fruits have developed criteria, methods, and management ideals about what is proper and sustainable. The ecology of the plant and collection practices becomes an act of political knowledge at the local level. While this local knowledge can no longer be associated with an indigenous identity in this highly mixed region, elements of traditional management remain apparent, as do contrasts in terms of plant and collection management. Informants from the comunidad of Mazocahui, in the Mexican state of Sonora, illustrate the complexity of controlling the collection and management of chiltepin shrubs. The seasonal nature of chili availability, rise in chiltepin prices, and lack of collection controls have led to disputes in this area of the Rio Sonora Valley.