UNM Curanderismo summer program shares traditional healing practices

It is that time of year again when The University of New Mexico Chicana/o department professors Eliseo "Cheo" Torres and Mario Del Angel-Guevara host their annual Curanderismo: Traditional Medicine without Borders summer program.

This summer, they celebrate 25 years of sharing and teaching Curanderismo, a traditional Mexican folk healing practice, to local, national and international participants.

The program offers both in-person and online classes. The in-person session runs from June 2-13 at UNM's main campus in Albuquerque and the three-week online class begins July 1.

Students can take the course for credit as registered UNM students or as a non-credit course for continuing education units through UNM's Continuing Education department. Registration is now open through UNM and Continuing Education, and registrations will be accepted up to the first day of each session.

Participants in the in-person session will engage in hands-on practices, workshops, demonstrations and herb walks led by healers in Albuquerque.

Throughout both sessions, participants will delve into the history of Curanderismo, exploring the use of medicinal herbs, remedies, rituals and tools for healing while learning from researchers and healers from the U.S., Mexico and other countries.

The practices taught in the class date back to two codices from the 1500s: Badiano and Florentine. The Badiano Codex was returned to the Mexican people and remains a prominent source of information today.

At its heart, the program helps New Mexicans and people from around the world relive, revive and re-teach a part of their heritage that has been lost over generations.

"As an educator, I feel that we should also be advocates for the communities that we impact," said Del Angel-Guevara. "Historically, over half of the students enrolled in the course are from out of state, highlighting a need for programs like UNM's Curanderismo in all states."

In addition to the two summer sessions, interested community members can participate in a study abroad program in Oaxaca, Mexico, which is offered once in the spring and fall through the UNM Global Education Office. For additional information, email curanderismo@unm.edu.

All Curanderismo programs are open to all community members and are fully bilingual.

To support the Curanderismo program, visit the program's donation page.

Visit the Curanderismo class webpage for more information on the class, including registration, professor bios and workshops.