Short Documentary on Traditional Healers

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to share an episode from a 1970's show that showcases the value and healing abilities of traditional Mesoamerican healers and also Inca healers. The show may be outdated but the information is still extremely relevant!! And I think the statements made in this documentary were ahead of its time.

My only criticism of the show is that it uses the word "Witch Doctor" which I absolutely loathe!

PLEASE NOTE: Most of the time you cannot photograph or take a video of a ceremony as it is something very private and sacred, in this case I decided to post these videos because the healers were more than likely consulted and they also did not tape the whole ceremony. 

Also Note the PHYSICIAN WHO IS ALSO A CURANDERO!!!! 

PART 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91MZvIOiO9I

PART 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol4HWCVWN2c&feature=related

Ashta Nemanha!

Copal

Copal is a tree resin that is burned as a ceremonial incense offering in traditional Mesoamerican medicine.
Copal is used in various contexts, a person may simply burn the copal inside their home in order to ward off bad winds or spirits and thus cleanse the "soul" of their home. Additionally copal is burned before dances and during prayers. Furthermore copal can be used during a Limpia by a curandero/a in order to aid in the healing of a person (similar to a North American Native smudging ceremony).

 Picture acquired from: http://nebelfront.org/images/incense/copal_blancomexico.jpg

ASHTA NEMANHA NUIKNEW!

The Yaqui traditional Healer

About one month and a half ago I hurt my back while I was exercising. At the moment that I got injured I thought that it was just a minor muscle strain and kept on exercising. When I was done exercising I took a shower and went outside to where my car was parked.

I went to my car, opened the door and while I was placing my laptop computer on the back seat I felt an acute pain that ran from the bottom of my back and went down both legs. The pain was unbearable and I almost collapsed on the ground because I felt as if my legs were going to buckle.

I waited a few minutes in my car fearing that I wouldnt be able to drive to school and that my back injury was severe. I was lucky enough that the pain went down a little and I proceeded to drive to school. From that day on I couldnt make any large movements with my right leg (like lifting it high or kicking ) nor support my weight on it. Furthermore I had this throbbing pain whenever I would sit down or would walk for a long period of time.

Thanks to the creator for having given me the opportunity to learn about my culture and traditional medicine because I knew that in order to fix my problem I didnt need pain pills but that I needed the services of a Sobador/a or Huesero/a.

A month went by with me suffering from my ailment and lack of exercise when  a woman that I had met told me that her sister was a traditional healer from the Yaqui tribe and that she did sobadas. The woman gave me her sisters phone number and I went ahead and called her that same day. The healer told me to come over that evening and I did.

There I was in my formal clinic attire after getting out of my medical rotation site driving in the humble Yaqui tribal region. When I got to the house of the healer and I sat down to wait for my turn her husband was surprised when I told him I was a medical student. The husband said "It is extremely rare that people with medical training comes to see us many even ridicule our traditions."
I responded to the husband's comment by telling him, "that is extremely unfortunate"

Well my turn came and the healer first did a type of spiritual cleanse by burning herbs and then proceeded to work on my body by doing a type of gentle massage combined with a technique where she would pass her hands over my body without touching it. I would feel sensations of heat and cold, pressure etc. When the healer was done with me I felt a huge sense of relief.
From what I can tell Yaquis use similar healing techniques to those used by the Curandero/as of  our Nahua and Mayan peoples. and I spoke about this with the healer and her husband.
I drove back to my apartment under a gentle monsoon shower and slept well that night.

The next day I felt sore as if the day before I had done a heavy workout. After two days I started working out and I didnt have any pain and my leg movements were normal.

I give thanks to the creator for having put me in contact with this traditional Yaqui  tribal healer here in Arizona. Thanks to her healing gift and that of her husband's as well I am able to exercise like normal and return to my daily routine without having to experience pain.

Having personally experienced the benefits of traditional ceremones solidifies the appreciation that one has for the knowledge of our native peoples of the lands of Anahuac and the rest of the "Americas!".

Dreams

The peoples of Mesoamerica from ancient times until our present day have placed great importance upon the dream world. Dreams aren't just considered fragments of memories that are being organized by the brain when one sleeps, like western society tends to think.

For our people dreams serve as an arena where we can reflect upon our daily lives, our spirit can leave our bodies and travel to where it pleases, we can receive celestial messages, a curandero or curandera can help heal a person and they may even be a way in which a deceased loved one can come and visit us.

Dreams are so important that in some places like in El Salvador, every morning upon awakening last night's dreams are the topic of discussion and are analyzed to decipher their meaning.

A memorable experience that I had with the dream world was when my grandfather came to see me one last time the night before he passed away from a chronic illness. That was his way of saying goodbye because I hadn't seen him in 8 years due to my schooling.

Ashta Nemanha Nuiknew!

Prickly Pear Cactus

picture acquired from: http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/opuntia_robusta2.jpg
The prickly pear cactus (Opuntia sp.), also known by the names of nopal, tuna, beaver tail cactus, has many culinary and medicinal uses.

There are more than 300 species of prickly pear cactus, all of which are native to the Americas. The prickly pear cactus is a rustic, rugged plant with extensive segments. These segments called platyclades are characteristic of the cactus. These pads are oval succulent and "meaty" and their color varies from green to purple depending on the species.

Both the pads and the fruit are edible. For example the segments are extremely versatile and can be eaten raw, stir fried, grilled, and have a flavor which in my opinion is reminiscent of green bell pepper with a hint of lime. One of my favorite recipes is to stirfry onions prickly pear pads, serrano chili pepper and fresh tomatos with a little bit of salt.

The fruits known in mexico as xoconostle are delicious and from my experience I can tell you that each specie's fruit has a different taste and it ranges from acidic to sweet like the ones in the Sonoran desert that taste like water melon!

Not only is the prickly pear cactus and its fruit edible they are also have various traditional medicinal properties.

externally a poultice can be made raw or heated to treat bruises or contussions, you can also use the viscous substance that emminates from the pads to treat burns.

Internally: raw they can be eaten or drunk (after being blended) to help regulate blood sugar, aid digestion, and heal the gut.

The prickly pear cactus can be found growing wild in the desert and you can collect it by cutting the pads and scraping the spines off. Or you can buy them in some super markets whole with spines and all, chopped without spines, or bottled in vinegar.

Ashta nemanha nuiknew (until next time my friends)

The Value of Medicinal Teas

Now a days when one goes to the grocery store, health food store etc. here in the United States one sees shelves full of capsules, tinctures and other liquids in beautifully decorated and colorful bottles, most of the time these herbal supplements are quite steep and out of the reach of most of us. I dont want to degrade the importance and value of these products that are often times convenient, easy to transport and sometimes are the only way to get a hold of a fragile herb. Nevertheless we must not forget the humble medicinal herbal tea that has been used for millenia all over the world.

The medicinal herbal tea is not any less effective than other types of herbal preparations. There is a myth that is propogated in alternative medicine circles that states that herbal teas are not necessary because they have been substituted by more modern forms of preparation. In my opinion this boils down to nothing more than a smear campaign against teas in order to sell more expensive products

Photo acquired from: http://supplementalscience.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/cuppa-tea-govna/

Below I have provided some of my reasons as to why I believe medicinal teas are extremely valuable:

1) They are cheap

2) The person has a personal interaction with the herb they are going to use

3) The preparer is directly involved in the process of making their medicine

4) They are easy to make

5) There is no Alcohol involved

6) They are fast to employ

7) Its great to sip a cup of tea with a group of friends

8) They are effective

Ashta Nemanha Nuiknew (until next time my friends)

Creosote (Larrea tridentata) infused oil

This is my first article on the medicinal plants of the Southwestern United States (many of which also grow in northern Mexico) especially the ones that grow in the Sonoran desert

Before I continue I would like to give my gratitude to the native peoples (both in the United States and Mexico) who live in this area and were the first to discover the medicinal properties of these plants which grow in their enviroment and have been using them for thousands of years. Furthermore I would like to give thanks to herbalists such as the late Michael Moore, Charles W. Kane whom have written books that have helped me learn about these wonderful medicinal herbs. Additionally I would like to thank my instructors Lynn Romero and Feather Jones, both certified herbalists, who teach classes at the Naturopathic medical school that I attend and have always been more than happy to answer any questiosn that I have had.

Now on with our conversation,

BEFORE YOU HARVEST ANY DESERT PLANT MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ASKED PERMISSION TO DO SO IF YOU ARE NOT HARVESTING FROM YOUR OWN HOME. ALSO MAKE SURE THAT ITS NOT ILLEGAL TO HARVEST THE PLANT

Creosote bush (chaparral, gobernadora, hediondilla) Larrea tridentata

photo taken from wikipedia.org

Creosote bush a native plant of the desert is an evergreen bush that grows up to 1-3 meters (3-9 feet in height) the stems bear resinous dark green leaves. The flowers are 25mm in diameter with 5 yellow petals. The plant has an aroma that I would describe as burnt rubber, the leaves when crushed have a pleasant odor that reminds me of the desert after a rain shower. Creosote is endemic in the region where its found

parts used: Leaves and flowers

How to collect: find a place where there are several plants growing cut a few stems that appear healthy preferably during the rainy season when the plant is  most vibrant and full of life. try to collect stems from various plants that way you dont over harvest a single bush.

furthermore I strongly suggest that you give thanks to the plant and any entity to which you pray (god spirits etc.) for having the priviledge of using the plant as medicine and also asking for the healing of the person whom you shall give the remedy to.

External use: yes

Internal use: yes

mode of use: Oil infusion (external), salve (external), tea (internal), macerated fresh plant (external)

Medicinally the plant may be employed for all types of conditions both internal and external and in my opinion Creosote is like a medicine cabinet in a bush. Traditionally this plant has been used externally for such common ills like scrapes, cuts, burns, acne, skin infections, and more serious conditions like sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, varicella, and snake bites.

when you use the plant in an external form the aroma is quite pleasing. Internally when drank as a tea I can tell you from personal experience that it is extremely bitter.

Now how to make the oil:

Materals needed: ample amounts of olive oil (castor oil, or jojoba oil), heavy duty scissors, a 1/2 quart  transparent glass jar, a metal sieve and of course Creosote bush stems with leaf and all.

1) harvest several fresh Creosote stems

2) cut the stems with leaf and all into smaller portions in order to make it easier to place them in the glass jar. fill the glass jar 3/4 of the way full.

3) Add the oil until you cover all the plant material and fill the rest of the jar, if its necessary with a wooden stick you can move the plant material to make sure the oil settles in nicely.

4) put a tight lid on the jar and label it with the date and contents (both type of oil, and plant used)

5) place the jar in a place where it will receive plenty of sun light and wont be disturbed for at least 2-3 weeks.

6) After the time has lapsed you may now filter the oil from the plant material and split up the oil into smaller glass containers if you like.

7) The oil is now ready to be used and applied to the afected area of the skin

Ashta Nemanha Nuiknew (until next time  my friends)

The Origins of Traditional Mexican and Central American Medicine part II

In the previous section I gave a brief account of the roots of our traditional medicine. In this section y will speak about the current state of our traditions.

FIRST OF ALL I WOULD LIKE TO TOUCH UPON AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT MATTER

a stereotypical image is imprinted in many peoples mind  of curanderos, curanderas and traditional practitioners as being poor, living in remote villages and with low academic education. There are many of our practitioners that live in conditions similar to those described and I pay them the highest respect and admire them for preserving our ancestral ways despite of hardships they might face.

Another stereotypical image that exists is that of a Mayan or Nahuan priest or priestess with ancient vestiment, jade jewelry and an obsidian knife climbing a pyramid and practitioners are expected to use these traditional vestiments and tools.

In Mexico and Central America there are times when ancient traditional clothing and objects are used some examples of this are the Voladores of Mexico, the Danzantes, and the Talciguines of El Salvador etc. Furthermore thanks to the creator there are still certain regions with communities taht preserve a very traditional way of life and they wear things like el refajo, coton, caites, huipil and the colorful clothing of the Maya and other groups.
For the most part practitioners of traditional medicine wear westernized clothing just like the rest of the population and you would not be able to tell them apart and recognize they are a curandero or curandera just by looking at them.

A practitioner (or an individual that seeks their aid) such as a curandera, partera, huesera (sobadora) etc. from modern times can be a person who lives in an apartment, wears western style clothing, watches television, knows how to drive and can even be a doctor, lawyer etc.!

As you can see how a person looks HAS NOTHIN TO DO with her or his abilities. BE CAREFUL BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITHOUT ANY MORAL CHARACTER AND THEY SCAM PEOPLE SAYING THEY ARE TRADITIONAL PRACTITIONERS!!!! With the resurgence of interest in our ancestral customs there are many people that exploit our knowledge and charge many people large sums of money promising them that they will make them financially richer, or that their "treatment" will large amounts of money. THIS IS A DISGRACE AND HELPS EFFORTS TO EXTINGUISH OUR ANCESTRAL CUSTOMS.

Normally traditional practitioners donot charge for their services and accept donations. I am in complete agreement with the fact that some practitioners charge a nominal and just fee which covers the cost of the herbs etc. we live in a world much different from our ancestors and many practitioners live in countries or regions where the support network that existed in their communities is no longer available and they must survive just like anyone else.

The beauty of our medicine is that it has survived and will survive thanks to its ability to adapt to any situation to illustrate this point I provide the following example:

Traditionally in Mexico and Central America there are certain ceremonies that utilize Copal, Myrrh, Rue etc. and this is the optimum thing to do nevertheless if the practitioner does not have the optimum herb at their reach they will substitute the herb with another one. If the practitioner does not have any herb at their disposal for whatever reason it may be they can use a substance that has a strong aroma such as a perfume to realize the ceremony.

As you can see the beauty and strength of our ancestral legacy that we have inherited (us mesoamerican peoples) is that the practitioner, the community and faith in some spiritual force whether that be a mayan or nahuan being or a christian entity and mother earth is what constitutes the core of our ancestral medicine.

In a future post I will speak about the philosophy and cosmovision that governs the traditional medicine of Mesoamerica

Ashta Nemanha Nuiknew (Nahuat= until next time my friends!),

The Origins of Traditional Mexican and Central American Medicine part I

In this post I will focus on talking about the influences on what is today known as traditional Mesoamerican medicine.

No one knows exactly since when humans have inhabited the area of MesoAmerica. What is known is that there has been human presence in this region for several millenia.

The Toltec culture is recognized as the mother civilization to all urbanized cultures of MesoAmerica. The Toltecs were idolized by the Mexica in ancient times, so much so that artisans and great orators were given the title of Toltec. Groups of Toltecs migrated southward the most famous of these migrations was the one carried out by the legendary leader Topiltzin son of Mixcoatl after having suffered a defeat during a civil war carried out by rival Toltec factions. These groups of Toltecs would contribute greatly to the formation of the civilization that would one day be known as the Mayans.

The Mexica in their oral and written history maintain that they originated in an  Chicomoztoc (place of 7 caves) and lived in a "northern" area called Aztlan from which 7 Nahuan tribes escaped an oppressive regime and ended up settling in the Valley of Anahuac. After priests saw the sign of an eagle devouring a snake atop a cactus, which fufilled an ancient prophecy the mexica established the city of Tenochtitlan(present day Mexico city). Furthermore some Nahuan groups such as the Nicarao, Pipil, Lempira, Cacaopera and others continued to migrate further southward and settled in Central America.

The Maya Quiche in their sacred book known as the Popol Vuh speak of how the Creator Heart of Sky attempted to create human beings on various occasions and finally materialized this feat by making first man and first woman out of corn masa (meal). The Popol Vuh also speaks of how when the different mayan groups grew in number they dispersed themselves throughout Central America and founded their city-states. Most present day Mayans live in the southern part of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize and Honduras.

It is not my intention to leave out other indigenous groups of the area. The reason why I fail to speak about the Zapotec, Mixtec etc. is frankly because I dont know much about them due to the fact that I have concentrated on learning about my roots. Nevertheless without a doubt I can say that all of the indigenous groups of MesoAmerica have contributed to the history, culture and identity of the inhabitants of their respective regions.

In 1492 with the arrival of the Europeans to American lands the course of history of the peoples that had inhabited region for millenia was forever altered. In my opinion the arrival of the Europeans was a horrendous misfortune due to their arrival whole nations were violated, humiliated, and were forced to convert to Christianity and speak foreign languages or die by the sword. These aforementioned events lead to the sowing of the seeds of racism and intolerance against our peoples even in the present day.

The Europeans brought christianity, the medicinal knowledge they inherited from the greeks, romans and in the case of the Spaniards the Arab influences.

What happened when the two culturers collided was a syncretism where a base of indigenous ceremonies and cultures were covered with thin icing of Christianity and other european influences. What this means is that the majority of traditional mesoamerican of Mexico and Central America is comprised of indigenous elements and a smaller percentage by that which is wholly European/Christian.

Examples of this syncretism are the worship of Maximon, The Black Christ, Day of the Dead, use of tarot cards, hens during some ceremonies that require sacrifice, the use of candles with images of saints plastered on them and the use of the rosary while praying to a mayan or nahuan being. There are many more examples of this syncretism they wil someway or another be touched upon in this blog  over time.

This concludes part 1, I hope this has been an informative and educational post.

Ashta Nemanha Nuiknew (Nahuat: until next time)

Ancestral Medicine

We are not myths of the past, ruins in the jungle, or zoos. We are people and we want to be respected, not to be victims of intolerance and racism.
-Rigoberta Menchu-

This quote by Rigoberta Menchu in my opinion is the best way to start a discussion about the traditions our peoples. The healing traditions (which are the focused on in this blog) of the Nahua, Mayan and other native groups of Anahuac are still alive. Obviously the unfortunate consequences that were brought about by colonization by the Europeans influenced the way of life of our peoples forever. Furthermore this colonization also marked forever the way in which this wisdom was passed on too future generations.
Nevertheless despite of the struggles and threats that the millenary wisdom of our ancestors has faced we are very fortunate that many were, are and will be courageous and maintained,maintain and will maintain this legacy alive.

The forced mixture that occurred with the coming of the Europeans to MesoAmerica and the repression against the people caused a large portion of the population to deny being indigenous and deny their customs as well. Unfortunately this repression still exists till this day.

My skin is brown, my eyes are dark, my hair is black, I eat tortillas, tamales, use amulets and thus recognize that I am indigenous to Anahuac. I hope that those people who deny their indigenous self look at themselves in the mirror and feel proud of what and who they are and not believe what they have been told for ages. The vast majority of our people identifies one way or another with their indigenous Anahuac blood and not with the colonizers thus in my opinion 90% of the population of MesoAmerica (and descendants of people from those regions) are indigenous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I understand that the reality is hard to face by many but its something that must be touched upon because to speak about our ancestors would be unjust without mentioning such a sensitive matter.

TEY MIKI TAY TUPAL (WHAT IS OURS NEVER DIES!)

What is the Purpose of this blog?

The purpose of this blog is the following:

1) Educate the public about health in general including physical, mental and spiritual well being

2)Educate the public about the different modalities of alternative medicine

3) Share with the public the rich medicinal heritage of MesoAmerica( the region encompassing Mexico and Central America) which is a legacy of  our Nahua, Maya, Zapotec and other native groups whose medicine is still practiced on a daily basis in said region. The subjects that will be covered are ethnobotanical medicine, spiritual medicine, physical medicine (sobadas/bonesetters), our culture, foods and many more subjects. Furthermore I will cover on a minor scale the medicinal practices of other regions of Anahuac (the rest of the Americas) and the world.

4) Educate the local population of Tucson Arizona about the medicinal plants that exist in the Sonoran desert (area where both the Tucson and Phoenix metropolitan areas are located)

5) Comment on other relevant matters when necessary

6) This blog will in the near future after I graduate (sometime in the summer of 2011) from medical school will serve to inform people about my future naturopathic medical clinic that will serve my people that live in the Tucson, Arizona metropolitan area.

THE BIRTH OF THIS BLOG

May, 11, 2010 marks the birth of the Talticpac blog

TALTICPAC: Word From the Nahuat language, TAL:Earth, IJPAC: Above, Talticpac: firmament, sky, universe, celestial  vault.

The name Talticpac was chosen by me for various reasons some of which I will mention below:

1) To recognize and honor my Pipil roots (Nahua group native to El Salvador), the wisdom of my ancestors and the land that witnessed the birth of both my parents. An homage as well to Atlacatl, Atonal, Anastacio Aquino, Farabundo Marti, Cayetano Carpio and all of those who have fought to preserve our Cuzcatlecan identity. In essence I wish to honor the place where the blood that flows in my veins originates from.

2) Talticpac is a very powerful word that recognizes that the material world is not our only influence and that we are in fact also influenced by that which exists in the other realm (that is to say the spiritual realm). In my opinion this influence is exerted on every facet of our lives from the most simple matter to the most complex including physically, mentally and spiritually.

3) Talticpac is what I will name my future naturopathic medical clinic in the city of Tucson Arizona when I graduate from medical school.

4) Furthermore I would never have thought of this name without recognizing the salvadorian musical group that specializes in ancestral Maya-Pipil music that made the word Talticpac their name. Said musical group has a long presence in El Salvador, I would have provided a direct link to their website but unfortunately the website is non-existent now nevertheless I did provide a link to a website where you can hear their music:
http://musica.com.sv/?msc=204

5) Showcase the contributions that the communities that originated from Anahuac (Mexico, Central and South America) make to the nation of the United States.


Ashta Nemana nuiknew! (Nahuat= Until Next time my friends!)