Within Indigenous worldviews, all relationships are reciprocal, meaning all participants give and take for the benefit of all. This talk explores a vibrant reciprocal relationship among Cucurbita crops (pumpkin, squash, gourd), humans, and a special wild pollinator known as the Hoary Squash Bee whose life is intimately entwined with them. We will follow the threads of this relationship from Oaxaca, Mexico, where Hoary Squash Bees and wild Cucurbita originated, to present-day Ontario, where Hoary Squash Bees thrive and Cucurbita crops are important food sources and cultural symbols for present day humans.
Facilitator:
Dr. Susan Chan
