A social anthropologist out of Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán and a doctoral candidate in Mesoamerican Studies from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cessia Esther Chuc Uc is a professor and researcher at Universidad Autónoma de Campeche. Her current research work focuses on the use of honey and wax from the beeswax from the stingless bee (Melipona beechii), encompassing honey’s symbolic, ritual, medicinal and nutritional significance.
Originally from a Mayan family of artisans, she overcame her social disadvantages and began to work in fields of knowledge that have been validated by her tireless efforts to rescue and create awareness of her millennial roots. Her career and professional endeavors were recognized by Unesco in October 2010 as part of the “Indigenous Women: Life Stories” initiative. An author of numerous studies on aspects of Mayan culture, such as thought, language, current farming rituals and traditional crafts, Chuc Uc has also written books to teach the Mayan language. More recently, she is noted for her bilingual (Mayan-Spanish) stories in which she uses the Mayan narrative on the elements of nature as a strategy to teach children to respect and value their natural and cultural heritage.