ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Gabino Noriega placed jars of gemstones, various oils, and small glass bottles on a table in his classroom. At the table next to that, there sat a large bowl of rose petals, flowers still on the stem, witch hazel, and a small metal pot. He was preparing for his next lesson as part of his class on curanderismo at an Albuquerque high school.
“So, curanderismo is the art of Mexican folk healing. I like to call it more like Southwestern folk healing, too, because it’s totally embedded in New Mexico culture,” Noriega explained. The practice is more than 500 years old and combines Mexican Indigenous culture, tradition, and beliefs. “It’s teaching people how to take care of themselves as far as their mind, body, and spirit are concerned, and having that balance.”
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In Noriega’s classroom at the Career Enrichment Center and Early College Academy Magnet High School in Albuquerque Public Schools District, you will find a unique set of school supplies, including a shelf full of herbs, essential and carrier oils, mortars and pestles, and seed starter trays filled with tiny sprouts lining the window sill. Outside the school, you will also find a greenhouse that houses herbs used for Noriega’s class.
For Friday’s lesson, Noriega taught students about how herbs and gemstones can be used for protection and attraction by including them in “remedio jars or spell jars.”
“They’re these little remedies that they make that they can use just to have as protection for themselves, or to like, instigate things. Like there’s like love ones, there’s ones to bring in money, you know, all this different stuff. And today they are making some for protection, Noriega said.
Students were given small glass jars with corks on top, and Noriega instructed students to place gemstones, herbs, carrier oils, and essential oils of their choosing in the jars. Before students started the hands-on activity, Noriega explained the significance of the items he provided to students and instructed students to set intentions for what they wished to cultivate in their lives by making these jars.
He also said the jars could be placed wherever the students found fit, such as in their rooms at home or in their cars.
Supplies provided to students (including but not limited to):
- Gemstones:
- Obsidian
- Tiger’s eye
- Amethyst
- Rose quartz
- Citrine
- Turquoise
- Essential oils:
- Rosemary
- Peppermint
- Spearmint
- Eucalyptus
- Carrier oils:
- Olive oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Herbs:
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Mugwort
- Lavender
- Juniper
- Hibiscus
After students were done with their jars, they moved on to the next table, where Noriega taught them how to make rose water by combining fresh rose petals in a pot of boiling water.
Once the rose water was ready, students poured it into spray bottles and added witch hazel to the mixture.
Noriega explained that rose water has anti-inflammatory properties and can be used for skin health by reducing irritation and fighting off bacteria.
Curanderismo has been a major part of Noriega’s life and was passed on to him from both of his grandmothers, who were curanderas.
He furthered his knowledge by taking classes on curanderismo at the University of New Mexico and decided to start a first-of-its-kind high school class on the subject in 2018. “I love being here because of this, right? It’s like a great opportunity to share my knowledge and to get that reciprocity from my students too,” Noriega said.
The class has also resonated with students, many of whom have shared that their family members practiced curanderismo, according to Noriega. Some students have also incorporated what they’ve learned in the class into their own daily lives.
“Definitely maybe one of the tinctures or potions we’ve made, like the pain one definitely helps. Like, I do get muscle aches sometimes because I run, and so I have used that a couple times just on my legs, which has been really helpful,” said Lilliana Sequeira, a 12th-grade student.
Another student said he enjoys making teas from herbs that he learned about in class. “I love giving it to my loved ones so that they can, like, whenever they’re sick, they can heal. Helps them with sore throats,” said 12th-grade student Andrew Bustos.
Students enrolled in the curanderismo class at the Career Enrichment Center receive both high school credit and college credit from UNM.
Other subjects students learn about in the class include how to perform limpias (spiritual cleansing) and how to make a copalero (incense burner).
Noriega is hosting two free community workshops this month on curanderismo. Details can be found in the flyer below. To register, click here.
