Witches in the Southwest

    This week’s reading, “Witchcraft in the Southwest”, was interesting to me. The stories of these witches are intriguing, and it makes we wonder if these magical occurrences really did happen. As the author mentions at the beginning of the passage, magic in this part of the United States has ancient roots that Native Americans and Latinxs are preserving today. With this rich history, I wanted to learn more about it.

    Navajo Nation is located in northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah. As a tribe, witchcraft is an essential part of their spirituality. One of the most notorious types of witches they know is called a Skinwalker. These witches can freely walk among the tribe during the day and secretly transform under the cover of night. To become a Skinwalker, an individual must perform an evil deed, often the killing of a close family member. Once initiated, they acquire supernatural powers, allowing them to shape-shift into animals. They wear the skins of these animals, which gives rise to their name. Skinwalkers can take the form of coyotes, wolves, foxes, cougars, dogs, bears, or any other animal, depending on their needs for a specific task. When it comes to witchcraft in Mexico, the concept of sorcery has ancient roots in Mesoamerica. However, it becomes more identifiable during the Classic Maya and Late Postclassic eras, especially in Central Mexico. What makes the magic in Mexico unique is its African, European, and Native influences. Brujería rituals focus on healing, divination, and protection.

    With this additional context, I can see connections to our reading. On page 56, the writer explains “On night excursions, witches generally retained their human form, but sometimes, to facilitate their goings, they assumed the legs and eyes of a coyote or other animal, leaving their own at home.” He later recounts the story of Manuel Lujan, a sheepherder who saw a coyote in the night and shot it, only to find out it was a witch who was likely a skinwalker. In the reading, there were also multiple references to witches transforming into other animals, such as owls, and leaving their eyes at home. If their eyes were damaged while they were gone, they took the eyes of cats as replacements. Looking back at these stories, it's clear that the author was likely referencing skinwalkers or magic similar to that.

    These stories brought what we've learned to life. They are captivating and make me curious if these instances still take place today. I especially connected with the reference to mal ojo as that is still widely believed. It's more than just a superstition, even my grandmother keeps dried chilis outside her house to ward off potential curses like mal ojo! Learning about witchcraft in practice in our own country helps me connect this course back to real life. The more we understand how witchcraft has evolved, the more empathy we can have for it and thwart harmful stereotypes.