Exciquio Santiago Cruz is an Aztec Náhuatl Indian living in Mezcala, Jalisco, Mexico. He has been practicing as a curandero (indigenous doctor who practices healing with herbs) and a sobador (masseur who uses the "old" techniques) for over eight years. Exciquio was taught his crafts by his mother who was a curandera and elders in his village. He has also traveled to Chiapas and Oaxaca to learn Indian massage techniques which he incorporates into the most incredible massage I've ever had - he calls it masaje tradicional (traditional massage).

At 49 years old, Exciquio has 11 children, two of whom he is passing on his knowledge to. To raise money, he has begun to give his special massages to the "gringo" community here. I personally have one a week every Sunday. I credit these massages with helping my ability to walk better (I have knee problems) and increasing my energy level. It is part of my week I really look forward to.

Exciquio and his son will be attending Feria Maestros del Arte for the first time this year. Their art is rather crude and are symbols of Aztec Náhuatl life in the far distant past. The sonaja (Spanish) or ayacachtli (Náhautl) is used in the dances and is made from seedpods of a local tree. It takes hundreds of these to make one instrument.

The snake or serpent holds a great significance in his culture. It is a symbol of life. His indigenous people believe that life is a privilege and that only the Gods will decide when you die. Here you see two photographs of art using the serpent theme.

The Aztec Náhuatl have three Gods. Their principal God, Tonztilo or Tlaloc, receives blood sacrifies from groups such as the Huichol Indians thanking him for his guarding the lake (Lake Chapala) and bringing the rains.

Another God, Illamantzin is God of the mountains. In May, Exciquio and his people ascend the mountain, wash themselves in agua miel (honey water) or pulque (a thick fermented alcoholic beverage made in Mexico from various species of agave cactus especially the maguey), sing and dance praises to the God who brings them food and animals to hunt.

Exciquio explained to me that Náhuatl refers to the ancient language of the Aztec people who lived in the Valley of Mexico at the time of the Spanish conquest. He is an Aztec Indian who speaks Náhuatl but not all Aztecs do. Currently in Mexico, there are seven groups of indigenous people who speak Náhuatl but they are not all Aztec.

The Náhuatl-speaking Aztecs have, through years of working with the environment in which they lived, gained crucial knowledge and understanding of the plants, animals, mountains, rivers, and universe that surrounded them. This knowledge has been preserved through oral tradition and cultural customs and still exists in indigenous communities today such as Mezcala, Jalisco. However, this knowledge is in danger of being lost as the modern world encroaches on indigenous communities, driving them to abandon traditional knowledge for the new, the modern, and the scientific.

In Náhuatl culture, being an artist was reserved for only a few particularly gifted individuals and was directly linked with the realm of ritual and divinity, central to Aztec society. For someone to become an artist, different considerations were taken into account: first and foremost, he had to be destined to it, and that was determined by the position of the stars at his birth; secondly, he had to have "countenance and heart", which in the Náhuatl language means "having a strong personality, a meticulously forged spirit".

The Náhua people still hold art in great esteem. They considered it the only road to a more authentic form of knowledge, closer to reality. This is clear in their extensive legacy to universal art, poetry, architecture, murals, sculpture and textiles were some of the many disciplines which the Náhuas developed.

The Náhua's traditional indigenous knowledge of illness, healing, and medicinal plants is another important reason to preserve the knowledge of these people. Their understanding of illness involved a distinction between hot illnesses (in kokolistiij totooni) and cold illnesses (in kokolistiij sessej), which could be treated with hot and cold medicines many of which were derived from plants.

The medicinal plant knowledge of the Náhuas is still practiced throughout Mexico. This traditional medicine, rather than being viewed as a second-class type of medicine for the poor, should be viewed as a more natural, holistic, affordable alternative to synthetic, modern pharmaceuticals. Many plant remedies have proved to be beneficial to non-indigenous and non-Mexican populations as well.

Náhuatl became the common language of Mesoamerica and is still spoken today by over 1 million Mexicans over the age of five years. The name "Náhuatl" (pronounced ná-watl) comes from the root nahua (nawa) which means "clear sound" or "command".

The impact that the Náhuatl language and culture have had on the north and south American culture is immeasurable. For instance, foods such as chocolate, tortillas, and tacos, which are known throughout North and South America were produced and consumed by Náhuatl-speakers long before Columbus "discovered" the New World. And words such as coyote and chocolate, which have been adopted by both the English and Spanish languages are Náhuatl in their origin (derived from koyotl and chokolatl).

Exciquio will be doing neck and shoulder massages at the Feria as well as selling the art you see pictured above. When you purchase something from Exciquio, you help ensure that his traditions will continue. He will also be selling masks used in their dances.

For more information on Exciquio and Mezcala, Jalisco, contact Marianne Carlson at 011522 376 765 7485 or email mariannecarlson@gmail.com