CONTROVERSIES

 

Curanderismo is often erroneously associated with brujera (black magic) or santeria  (Pabón, 2005). Because of this as well as its link to the natural world and indigenous culture, it is often looked at with much skepticism among certain communities.

 

Many curanderos are shunned by the community- even those they cure- and thought of as “evil brujos” (Pabón, 2005). The use of the word “brujo” is intentionally dismissive, and at its core is a rejection of “Indianness” as evil, primitive and inferior (Coronado, 2005. p. 172).

 

This pejorative classification is not the only issue in modern practice: many also view curanderismo as a “silly” superstition, even those that find they benefit from its use. As a result, patients are often reluctant to discuss their treatments with their Western physicians. This can lead to issues of contraindications within competing treatments of the doctor and the curandero (Coronado, 2005. p. 167).  

 

Curandero performing a ritual at a festival celebrating El Nino Fidencio (1898-1938), a controversial curandero and folk saint of Mexico
Curandero performing a ritual at a festival celebrating El Nino Fidencio (1898-1938), a controversial curandero and folk saint of Mexico

 

Many within the medical establishment as well as the church have sought to reject curanderismo as inferior to the hegemonic Western model of medicine due to its links to Indian tradition (Coronado, 2005. p. 166). Within the modern national health administration of Mexico, it is seen by these same doctors as a barrier to improving health in rural areas, regardless of its efficacy (Coronado, 2005. p. 166).

 

Even though they are unlikely to admit it publicly, many doctors recognize the broad experience and important work of parteras (midwives) and huesteros (bone setters) that is often done in the rural communities of Mexico (Coronado, 2005. p. 171) .

 

 

Depiction of traditional parteras
Depiction of traditional parteras
Depiction of traditional huesteros (bone setters).
Depiction of traditional huesteros (bone setters).

 

Another clash with Western medicine occurs within the field of psychology. Because of the holistic nature of the practice, curanderos are often part doctor, part priest and part therapist. Treatments focus on many different elements within nature and society and are always focused on relationships that are collective in nature (Hoogasian, 2010. p. 300).

 

Within Western psychological therapy, patients are taught and treatments are focused on the individual (Hoogasian, 2010. p. 300). Likewise, patients within Western psychotherapy are taught to be self-reliant. Those who use curanderismo concurrently- relying on God and the metaphysical- may be seen as having a weakness within Western hegemonic practice (Hoogasian, 2010. p. 300). Ironically, when working with children or trauma sufferers, modern therapists often incorporate material objects within their practice. Items such as stuffed animals or personal objects from the patient's life are often used directly or symbolically to set the patient at ease in similar ways to the curandero (Hoogasian, 2010. p. 301).

 

Depiction of a curandero casting evil spirits from a small child
Depiction of a curandero casting evil spirits from a small child

 

Resources Cited:

 

Coronado, Gabriela. "Competing Health Models in Mexico: An Ideological Dialogue between Indian and              Hegemonic Views." Anthropology & Medicine12.2 (2005): 165-77. Web.

 

Hoogasian, Rachel, and Ruth Lijtmaer. "Integrating Curanderismo into Counselling and Psychotherapy."          Counselling Psychology Quarterly 23.3 (2010): 297-307. Web.

 

Pabón, Melissa. "The Representation of Curanderismo in Selected Mexican American Works." Journal of            Hispanic Higher Education 6.3 (2007): 257-71. Web.