Ecological Spirituality from the Ancestral Testimonies of the Nahua People

Tuesday, May 30, 12:30–2 p.m.
Student Center 130
Presentation will be in Spanish with English translation
Please RSVP here
Seating is limited; please respond by May 22

From Ignacio Torres Ramírez:

I will share with you some of the Nahua cosmovision within a pre-Hispanic historical context as well as one of conquest.  We will travel to the past, long before the arrival of the Aztecs and the Spanish conquest to introduce you to the deep cosmology of our ancestors. We will journey through an historical path covering the arrival of the Aztecs, the Spanish conquest and indigenous, black, and popular resistance. Over the course of our journey I will present the powerful traditions, uses and customs such as ceremonies of the earth and the communal planting of the three sisters (corn, bean and squash) as a sacred practice of our cosmovision.

I am proud to be one of the original peoples of the indigenous community of Amatlán de Quetzalcoatl, in the Municipality of Tepoztlán in the State of Morelos. It has deep ancestral roots from which I receive my traditional name Nahui Cuauhtli, meaning Four Eagle. Amongst the original peoples we keep traditions and customs based on our land, our spirituality and our cosmovision. One example being the Communal Council naming the guardian of the sacred conch, for the use of general ceremonies. In 1992, I had the great honor of being named guardian of the community’s conch. As in many indigenous communities, Amatlán is one of the spaces that we practice curandería and many of our families come from this carefully preserved lineage to care for the community’s  physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. For 2000 years my family has come from this line of healing.

I graduated from the Metropolitan Autonomous University in CDMX as a veterinarian doctor. My interest is the health of animals but also the health of the owners of the animals. This led me to graduate from the Centro de Desarrollo Humano hacía la Comunidad-Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (CEDHEC-UAEM) (Centre for Human Development for the Community) as a Corporal Therapist offering massage, chiropractic and traditional herbal medicine. I continue my training for a diploma in acupuncture and in this way I am able to serve the health of animals and humans.