MAS535

020798

This interdisciplinary course is a survey of various popular and Indigenous medicinal systems that fall under the rubric known as Mexican Traditional Medicine (MTM). Mexican scholar Carlos Viesca Treviño defines MTM as medicinal knowledge(s) that emanate from Mesoamerican world views and that have adapted to historical and social conditions in the Americas. This course will explore various expressions of MTM, with a special emphasis on Indigenous medicinal approaches to healing that exemplify both continuities and adaptations. We will compare across cultures some shared values in various Indigenous systems as well as how they are uniquely expressed in contemporary settings. We will also draw from the local knowledge holders of Indigenous populations from this region to compare various approaches in traditional medicine. This course will introduce students to the relationship between place, healing and cosmology in Indigenous-based cultures that maintain curing traditions and practices. We will explore the theories and philosophies that are used in MTM as well as applied knowledge and practices that are useful for self care and community wellness. Graduate-level requirements include projects with deeper analysis, additional three sessions to discuss their research projects, and research paper weighted twice as heavy as the undergraduate paper, with greater expectations in research, writing and analysis.

GRD - Regular Grades A, B, C, D, E

Graduate

CE - CL (Cross Listed), GIDP - AIS (American Indian Studies)