Alexandra Reineck

Alexandra Reineck traveled to San Ignacio, Belize for her wonderful international experience. Her first two-week course explored indigenous culture and medicinal plants. She discovered a new perspective on indigenous people and their practices by learning first-hand from Maya and Garifuna people. While there, she was a part of a ceremony put on by a Maya healer to give thanks to the earth that we take pleasure in every day. Hand-picked flowers were separated into four color sections that all represented the connections between earth’s strongest forces. "Everything in this world is intertwined", she learned. The methodology behind Maya ceremonies was used centuries ago in the building of the holy sights sometimes referred to as “Mayan ruins.” Ruins are not the only misnomer made by westernized culture and put onto indigenous peoples' culture, but it is one of the most incorrect. Although Belize has put a ban on indigenous people doing ceremonies at holy sites like Xunantunich and Lubaantun, these sites are still full of energy, and many Mayan people consider them to be sacred. Lexi was fortunate enough to explore these holy sites and view the intricate architecture and gorgeous vegetation. She felt the importance of women in these cultures due to many healers being women and midwives.

Her second course dove into public health in the tropics. She spoke to many local organizations that protect communities from large outbreaks of disease, including malaria and dengue. Scientists in the area studied the migration of certain mosquitos that cause outbreaks of these diseases, as well as ways to kill off these critters without hurting the surrounding environment at the same time. All together Belize changed her outlook on medicine and what healing truly entails. She came to find that there are many other things besides chemically made medicine that she believes should be considered medicine, like community. She now knows that even the small things we take for granted are connected to our health.