Maria Garcia, a Yucatec Maya healer, practices traditional healing methods in San Antonio, Belize, while emphasizing the importance of the sacred piper amalago plant. The region is home to the Noj Ka'ax H'Men Elijio Panti National Park, established in 2001 by the Itzamna Society to preserve ancestral lands. After losing governance in 2009, the park became vulnerable until the Society regained control in 2022, allowing for ecological recovery and the preservation of Maya culture, including traditional healing practices.
"We use it like a brush to remove all of the negativity. You give all that's not good to the plant and the plant gives you its energy."
"The park went into abandonment. More than a decade of negotiations ensued, and in 2022 the Itzamna Society regained its stake in the park."
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