him, explaining that the sorcerer had him
under a spell. He worked with this old healer
for a long time. Eduardo continued to read
and study and learn, becoming a respected
curandero in his community.
For the Peruvians, the practice of
curanderismo fits their culture because the
practices stem from native beliefs. This is
demonstrated in the movie by a guinea pig
Eduardo uses as a typical diagnostic tool.
Although in western medicine that may seem
impractical, for their culture it has been a
practice for centuries. The cosmology of the
Peruvians has altered due to conversion to
Catholicism, but even the new religion, rather
than conflicting with native practices is
incorporated into the practices, as seen by
Eduardo’s mesa (a table used in curing
ceremonies) which holds relics significant to
native and Catholic beliefs (Cowan, Richard,
1979). The worldview of the Peruvian culture
also fits into Eduardo’s path, as he follows
other pursuits before becoming interested in
healing. There is no age at which it would
have been necessary to become a healer. He is
educated by other healers because they see
that he has talent in the field and chose to
pass on their knowledge. He is supported by
the community, just as the community
supports any individual undergoing the
ceremonies Eduardo performs.
The Navajo medicine
woman Annie Kahn entered
into the tradition of healing
through inherited lineage. In
Bobette
Perrone’s
book
Medicine Women, Curanderas, and
Women Doctors, Annie Kahn
told the authors that the
children of medicine people
often
become
healers
themselves, if they have the
characteristics
needed
to
follow the path of a medicine
person. In addition, a child
that has promising healer
characteristics
can
also
become a medicine person even if their family
does not have any healers. Annie Kahn
explains that there are a thousand roads to
medicine (Perrone, Bobette, et al, 1989).
Annie went on to give her own story of
becoming a medicine person, which began
before she was born. Annie’s parents
requested a Blessingway Ceremony when her
mother was still pregnant to open the way to
her becoming a medicine woman. Her parents
prepared her by talking about medicine while
she was still in the womb, and this allowed her
to connect with nature and harmony on her
path to becoming a medicine woman. Thirty
days after birth, Annie received a second
Blessingway ceremony by the same medicine
person who performed the first, and then her
medicine woman education and training
began. She explains that the child is then
taught by parents, grandparents, and other
relatives about medicine and nature. As
children the Navajo are taught about nature,
astrology, seasons, and animals. All of the
elements and living things around them are
questioned, touched and used as tools for
developing the knowledge they practice as
healers (Perrone, Bobette, et al, 1989). As they
develop as healers, they also specialize in
certain ceremonies or healing functions.
Annie Kahn says that she is a teacher of
ceremonies and is known as the Flower that
Speaks in A Pollen Way; she
spreads her knowledge as a flower
spreads pollen.
In Navajo culture, the
spoken word is very powerful.
Before her birth Annie’s parents
had begun to speak to her about
medicine. This was their way of
opening nature, harmony and
medicine to her. In their
cosmology the world and its
elements were spoken into
existence by the Holy People
(Perrone, Bobette, et al, 1989).
Annie’s account of how she
became a medicine woman gives a
Annie Kahn, Medicine Women, Curanderas,
and Women Doctors, 1 9 89 .
15