Oaxacan Instructor’s Biographies

Sra. Nati

I am Ms. Nati and I was born in the Mixteca, in a town called Santa Cruz Itundujia. I have 27 years of working with the Temazcal. It is Mixtec. I learned this practice from my parents, they practiced this and my mom taught me. After my first child was born, I learned out of necessity. My dad prepared me to learn this practice. I also know about plants from my parents. Everything I have learned has been through an empirical manner. I always observed how my mom prepared the plants; how she boiled and ground them while still fresh or how she infused them placed them in cataplasms, and made pastes or milk to cure.

JazelAlejandra Pacheco Gallegos

I am a woman of Zapotec race, my mother tehuana (born in Santo Domingo Tehuantepec) and my father Cuicatec (native of San Juan Bautista Cuicatlán) born on August 10, 1962.

My preschool, elementary and secondary schooling took place at the Union and Progress College in this capital. Later I attended high school at the Carlos Gracida Institute to continue with the Bachelor of Law at the Autonomous University “Benito Juarez”.

I have completed some courses in English, French and Computers.
I love to talk about the different regions in my city, I am proud of my background, and I like to learn about the different customs, languages, traditions, and food of each place. When I can share the knowledge I have of my region, I do not hesitate to do so even though photos or videos.
I worked in a legal office, but because of the shortage of financial resources, insurance entered the State Government as administrative head, where I was offered to work in the community of San Agustin Amatengo, Ejutla de Crespo, Oaxaca, as preschool teacher. Here I realized that working with young children was very rewarding, but I had to prepare myself to be a good teacher. I decided take the admission exam to enter the National Pedagogical University in Ixtepec city. I am now in my sixth semester pursuing the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education.
Martha Leticia Canseco Bennetts

I have being teaching Spanish for more than 20 years now, and during this time I have had wonderful experiences with many different people. I remember one of our first students at Becari, He told me his name was Mike, but later he told me that was not his real name. He used to come to class every day, I tried to make him speak Spanish so hard, but he always answered me in English. One day he said, “Martha, do not worry, it is enough for me if you speak in Spanish, I do not need to speak Spanish, I just want to listen. You can continue speaking to me in Spanish but I will answer in English…it is a lot cheaper to come and talk to you than to go to a psychologist.” He was a very lonely person and unfortunately, he died alone in his apartment in Oaxaca. Nobody knew until the door they forced open of his apartment after a few days. I always remember him, because he had a wonderful sense of humor and made me laugh so many times, even though he never spoke a word in Spanish to me.

I have met wonderful people through the years and some very interesting ones. I remember this young man from England- He came to Oaxaca to learn Spanish because he has read the books of Carlos Castañeda, where he writes about Oaxaca and experiences with different herbs, and “curanderos”. Well, I read the two books in order to understand him. He believed every word and was going to look in Oaxaca for the characters in the book. He was so strange and sometimes in class, he was drawing very interesting figures and when I asked him what did they meant, he told me they were the spirits of everything that was around us, like water, the chair, etc. He took private lessons for one month, and then he bought a car and decided to go to the mountains of Oaxaca to see the places Carlos Castañeda describes in his books. He learned very good Spanish, but I am afraid he did not find what he was looking for. I have written one book for the first level of Spanish called “El Chapulín 1”.

Esperanza Raquel Arteaga Rodríguez

She received her Lic. in Psychology, Labor Option, from the Regional Southeast University and has specialized in Gestalt Psychotherapy. Her skills revolve around educational psychology and labor evaluations and has knowledge in human development, work motivation, and human relations. She has taught at various conferences about psychosocial issues, domestic violence, issues related to the elderly, and stress management. In addition, she has facilitated growth groups for adolescents and groups aimed at increasing the quality of life for the elderly.

Misael Garcia Palacios
Lic. Misael has a degree in Psychology from the University of the Gulf of Mexico. He teaches Women, Gender and Citizenship at the University of Barcelona, ​​Spain. He received a diploma in “Teaching from the gender perspective”, from the Autonomous University “Benito Juarez” of Oaxaca and the Institute for Oaxacan Women (IMO). He also holds a diploma in “Social Psychology and Community Intervention” by the University Jose Vasconcelos (UNIVAS) in Oaxaca and one in Conflict Resolution received in the Program for the Support of Security and Justice, MSI-Mexico.
He has worked at the Institute for Oaxacan Women as psychologist-counselor for women survivors of gender violence and a facilitator of workshops on gender theory.
He has conducted various educational processes from the gender theory in health, education, municipal development, gender violence and masculinity in Oaxaca and other Mexican states.
He is currently director of expertise in the field of gender equality in the Oaxacan Association for Interdisciplinary Studies on Gender and Human Rights “Pariter” A.C. He also teaches at the University of the Gulf of Mexico (LU) campus Oaxaca.