Mushrooms

When the rain is coming comes, here in Mazatec places country, something interesting happens. From the earth/ground appears the live life, in form of little things: mushrooms. We have different kinds of mushrooms, the most common are the "Little Sacred", this kind has a spiritual meaning in our life. Now more people come to the Mazatec mountains to explore this other reality. I always think about our conception of the world-life, and now I can say that our beliefs come from our medicine. Let me explain you, we have two different kinds of doctors, the first one´s gives to us the medicine for our body, and they are "hierveros" (something like "plants-men") [nga én ingles "herbalists" 'mi] they help the people who are sick and the sickness is visible, so this kind of doctor can know what happens to the body. The other one is called a "Shaman" and is a more spiritual man, they have the cure to the for sickness that we can´t see, they have his their own rituals to do that, and that is the moment when the mushrooms come in. When the sickness is very hard serious, and nobody really knows what is taking the patient's life, the "Shaman" has to do the ritual with "Littles Saints", just only then he can save his patient. Sometimes people who come from another countries (specially from another parts of the world) think that we eat mushrooms everyall the time, maybe to be happy and have fun, and they says "let´s go tomorrow to the mountains and eat some mushrooms for fun" and this is a little offensive to us. There is a problem, the tourists don´t have a good information and we don´t know how to explain.

Well, I think our culture would be interesting for people who don´t know how is the life is here. For our community mushrooms are very important… I forgot to say that we used other kinds (of mushroom) like as food, a woman one day once said "some kinds give us nutriments, other kinds give us dreams"

Mushrooms

When the rain is comes, here in mazatec territory, something interesting happens. From the earth(?)___ appears life, in form of little things: mushrooms. We have different kinds of mushrooms, the must common are the "Little Sacred Ones", this kind has a spiritual meaning in our life. Now more people come to the Mazatec mountains to explore our other reality. I always think about our conception of the world and life, and now I can say that our beliefs come from our medicine. Allow me to explain, we have two different kinds of doctors: the first ones give us medicine for our body and there are "hierveros" something like "plant doctors," they help the people who are sick and the sickness is visible, so this kind of doctor can know what happen to the body. The other kind are called "shamans" and they are more spiritual doctors, they cure sicknesses that we can´t see. They have their own ritual for that, and that is where the mushrooms come in. When the sickness is very bad, and nobody really knows what is causing the illness, the "chamans" have to do a ritual with the "Little Saints" so they can save their patient. Sometimes people who come from another countries (specially from another parts of the world) think that we eat mushrooms all the time, maybe to be happy and have fun, and they say, "let´s go to the mountains tomorrow and eat some mushrooms for fun" and this is a little offensive to us. This creates a problem: the tourist doesn´t have good information and we don´t know how to explain it to them.

Well, I think our culture would be interesting to people who don´t know how life is here. For our community mushrooms are vey important… I forgot to mention that we use other kinds of mushrooms for food. A woman said one day, "one kind gives us nutrients, another kind gives us dreams"