A Magic Feather

Download or read book A Magic Feather written by David Atekpatzin Young and published by . This book was released on 2020-08-13 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the Spaniards first invaded Mexico, they encountered advanced medical practices among the Indigenous peoples called huehuepahtli (ancient ancestral medicine). The Spaniards renamed it curanderismo. Despite 500 years of colonization, huehuepahtli remains deeply embedded in the Indigenous communities of North America precisely because of its success in treating myriad physical, mental, emotional and spiritual illnesses. A Magic Feather divulges key healing secrets still utilized in the Indigenous Chicano community. Atekpatzin, a curandero who studied with Aztec/Mexica, Apache, Chicano, Genízaro, and Lakota medicine people, shares the theory, philosophy and science of curanderismo. Beginning with original sources written in the sixteenth century up to contemporary oral teachings that predate European contact, A Magic Feather takes us inside these living traditions across time to arrive at a contemporary expression of Indigenous medical practices deeply rooted in the Aztec cosmology of Mexicayotl. The sixteen chapters of the book are divided into three sections: The Foundation of Illness; Methodologies for Healing; and Evolution of a Philosophy. The book explores how curanderismo has evolved over the centuries, why it is still practiced and it provides practical applications for addressing illness for both Indigenous individuals and communities.