The Evolution of Medicine and Cultural Caretaking
“There is no modern medicine tradition, there is only a continuation of the evolution of our traditional medicine ways. With shared knowledge of the practices that have come to our attention from the West and even from the far East, we are not an arrested culture. We are growing and will continue to evolve as long as we are not violently suppressed.” — Patricio Dominguez (Tiwa)
As a result of a serious illness that Western medicine could not cure, guided by a vision in the dreamtime, I sought out a traditional medicine person, and arrived in Albuquerque in 2004 to speak with Patricio Dominguez. Many inexplicable miracles happened when, for seven years I dedicated myself to learning traditional medicine ways and — to return the debt of gratitude — build community in New Mexico.
Previously, I had studied Reiki, yoga, martial arts and herbalism, and had some wonderful teachers. My education at American University, in Washington, D.C., in Culture and Latin American Studies contributed to my understanding.
When I first began attending a wide variety of ceremonies as part of my shamanic training, I had the blessing to attend the last of the Eagle-Condor gatherings to carry my teacher’s bags. During 10 days, I met dozens of white, black, red, brown and yellow medicine people from North and South America, as well as South Africa, Tibet and Europe. There were medicine people with ornate regalia and ceremonial practices, speaking dozens of languages. We sang together, sweat and prayed. Elders told stories by the fire, and councils of wisdom-keepers spoke late into the night.
I was thrilled to meet living representatives of so many cultures. Though I had grown up with my Native American grandmother, we had lost our culture, and this gift was the most precious thing I could imagine. That these cultures had survived, not only here, but in pockets around the world, gave my life meaning. I believe that fundamentally, we all look for meaning. What the Conquest tried to eliminate was still alive. I took it into my heart to share with others in the future.
After I returned home, I ventured out and found Navajo, Lakota, Cherokee, Creek and Inca medicine people and attended their ceremonies. Pipe ceremony, vision quest, spirit dance and many plant medicine ceremonies, as well as kiva lodge and sweat ceremonies, have allowed me to appreciate the beauty and power of Native American culture. I worked with every kind of medicine I could find, trying to understand the essence of medicine in terms of ceremony, entheogenic, personal power and herbalism. I also dove into the seed-sovereignty conferences in New Mexico while working at a farm and studying with Susun Weed.
What I discovered was that all these traditions are a living thing, and it’s the human caretakers who keep it alive and communicate its meaning. No two medicine people are the same. Even after holding ceremony for over 10 years, it is different every single time. Pop culture stifles the pursuit of consciousness and shamanism, but there will always be “bridge people” like my elder, Patricio, and myself, who continue to caretake culture as a living entity. We plant blue corn, squash and beans in our garden and embrace diversity through sharing our culture.
All roads lead to Chaco, they say, and as such, this area has always been known for hospitality and intersection of cultures. But the community I serve, with a kiva lodge and temazcal (sweat lodge), are in the middle of Albuquerque! I initially found that few people, even those genetically native, knew the appropriate ritual and culture. I had the immense task of helping translate and bridging an authentic Pueblo lineage, which my elder has held like a baby all of his life.
As we held sweats and other ceremonies, we found that many people had been going abroad to work with plant medicines and sometimes came home shattered. Once DMT: The Spirit Molecule became popular, more and more people came seeking authentic ceremony. Because we have a permanent community to support, it makes sense to serve them here. It’s also much less expensive and time-consuming to attend ceremonies in your own region. And it allows us to grow with and support each other. If you need help, the community and two generations of medicine people are here. Professionally caretaking the ceremony and necessary knowledge is important if these journeyers are going to be safe and find the experiences they need to heal and to explore their inner world.
Our ceremony does not look as it would in the Amazon. We are desert people following a bridged-over version of Pueblo culture that serves a diverse community. Embracing this evolution is required if we are to continue to thrive as a spiritual community. Spirituality was shared openly before colonization. We are happy to welcome all races and people into our lodge.
