In the heart of the indigenous territories in Guatemala, the ancestral knowledge of Mayan healers resonates, as guardians of millenary wisdom and caretakers of the health and wellbeing of their communities. The Ajq’ijab’ (timekeepers) not only heal the body, but are care for the spirit and to help us keep our connection with Mother Earth and the memory of our ancestors alive.
Nan Amalia Tum lives in Amatitlán, although her originis are in Patzún, Chimaltenango, where she was born, 90 kilometers from where she currently resides. She grew up in a Catholic family. After an illness she discovered her linage, the cosmovision of her ancestors, and practices that connect her to her roots. She then understood that her birth mission was to be a timekeeper, an Ajq’ij or guardian of ancient knowledge that links the present with the past.
Nan Amalia shared with me that, according to the Mayan cosmovision, human beings are just another element within the cosmos, therefore, part of her mission is to perform ceremonies for the land, the solstices, to ask and give thanks for the rain, to ask for crops and to give thanks for the harvests, to give daily thanks for life.
Her gift as a timekeeper, as she herself describes it, is:
“To show reverence for life, to show reverence for everything that surrounds us, for everything that exists on Mother Earth, but especially, to seek harmony and buen vivir with the community.”
Colonization, war, land dispossession, and the contamination of natural resources have caused the soil to become infertile.
Nan Amalia says that the infertility of our land is Mother Earth’s way of protesting, it is Mother Earth demanding respect, it is Mother Earth demanding individual and collective human conscience.
The book Yab`il xane K`oqil? / Diseases or Consequences? (2012), a manual for the practice of Mayan medicine prepared by the Asociación Médicos Descalzos with the collaboration of the Guatemalan Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance and Mayan communities, documents in detail the use of medicinal plants, ceremonies, and practices that have been passed down from generation to generation.
“The knowledge of our grandmothers and grandfathers, stored in the heart of the earth, guides us on the path toward healing and balance.” –Yabil Xane koqil
The Guatemalan Ministry of Health is still working to integrate this interculturality and ancestral practices into the country’s health system. Nan Amalia has participated, since 2011, in several technical roundtables to develop an initiative so that both the government and the people of Guatemala recognize the diversity of ancestral practices that exist among various communities. However, in a country where racism continues to be a current and deep-rooted problem, no significant progress has been made.
In modern times, Ajq’ijab’ continue to be contributors to people’s health and wellness, particularly in rural communities where access to modern medicine may be limited. Their ancestral approach, which considers both body and spirit, offers a comprehensive view of health that goes beyond the physical realm.
The relevance of Mayan healers became even more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. With their medicinal plants and rituals, they provided relief and hope in a time of uncertainty. Using ancestral knowledge, these healers used plants such as ginger and garlic for their antiviral properties, and eucalyptus to alleviate respiratory problems.
In addition to physical therapies, they also offered emotional and spiritual support through fire ceremonies and temazcals to reduce the stress and anxiety that affected many people during the pandemic.
“In the sacred fire we find the purification of the spirit, in the medicinal plants, the healing of the body.” –Yabil Xane koqil
Nan Amalia tells me that, despite the benefits that these ancestral practices bring to the community, no one formally recognizes them. However, what strikes her is that, despite the lack of recognition, pharmaceutical companies have begun to use natural ingredients, such as lemon, ginger and honey in their natural cough syrups that they now advertise.
Mayan healers teach us that health is a balance between the body, the mind, and the spirit. They remind us that nature offers us everything we need to heal. Every plant, every practice, every word of our Ajq’ijab’ is steeped in the wisdom of our ancestors.
The role of Mayan healers goes much further than medicine, they are the guardians of millenary knowledge about time, life, and health. Their life mission connects us with our roots, keeping alive the memory of our ancestors and ensuring that their wisdom is not lost.
“We are the children of earth and heaven, bearers of a legacy that calls us to care for and heal our community.” – Yabil Xane koqil
In a world that often forgets its roots, Mayan healers remind us about the importance of looking back and honoring the path traveled by our ancestors. In every plant, in every ritual, in every word, we carry with us the voice of our sacred lineage, guiding us towards a future rooted in love, wisdom, and respect for all that exists on this planet Earth.
“We are the elements, we are born, we grow, and we return. When we return, our body returns to Mother Earth, and it is your spirit that remains as a guide.” –Nam Amalia Tum
REFERENCIA BIBLIOGRÁFICA
Asociación Médicos Descalzos (2012). ¿Yabil xane Koqil? / ¿Enfermedades o Consecuencias?. Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala: Fundación Cholsamaj
