Have a taste of the historic Hispanic homeland in San Luis Valley through the new book Teresa de Jesus Vigil: Herbalist, Storyteller, Poet at her book signing at Rawlings Library, 100 Abriendo Ave, Pueblo, on June 23, 6 pm and at Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center on July 10, 1:30 pm.

Teresa Vigil will give a short presentation on herbs and read from her book published by Vanishing Horizons. Her cultural perspective and life-long medical experiences make her presentations compelling.

Teresa often gives tours and presentation to health professionals who need to know the herbs that people use to heal themselves. According to Vigil, some herbs, like osha, are very potent and people should know its many uses before ingesting.

She grew up in California but returned to San Luis each summer to live and work with her grandparents Beatriz and Ramundo Gallegos. She and her sister harvested quelites (lamb’s quarters) and other vegetables on the farm. Her grandmother attended local women in childbirth and that’s where Teresa became fascinated with the healing herbs.

When she came of age, she enrolled in nursing school and still holds a Licensed  Vocational Nursing degree in California. She practiced nursing for 40 years and seven years with a behavioral health institution. When she and her husband Victor moved to San Luis with seven children, she used her skills to keep them all healthy.

Her writing is published in Delmar’s Integrative Herb Guide for Nurses, Fiesta’s Cultural Awareness of Herbal Use. She contributed recipes to Cocina de la Familia, published by Touchstone, NY, NY, 1999. She is a contributor to Mexican-origin Foods, Foodways, and Social Movements: by Devon G. Pena, et. al, University of Arkansas Press, 2017.