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- Convenors:
-
Edward Sankowski
(University of Oklahoma)
Betty Harris (University of Oklahoma)
Send message to Convenors
- Track:
- Survival and Extinction
- Location:
- University Place 3.214
- Sessions:
- Friday 9 August, -, -
Time zone: Europe/London
Short Abstract:
Medicine and disease have had an impact on the culture of the mankind.Every tribal community has evolved a pharmacopoeia and a therapy.Despite the onslaught of the modern medicine,tribal people are still pursuing the traditional system of medicine.
Long Abstract:
Medicine and disease have had a undeniable effect on the history and culture of the mankind. Every human society has evolved a pharmacopoeia and a therapy, it may be magico-religious, secular or empirical or scientific. However, in the context of India, a number of tribal communities are still pursuing the traditional system of medicine, which is based on indigenous knowledge and practice. But in the changing scenario of modern medical system, the tribal people are reluctant to practice their system of medicine.
In order to preserve, foster, and further develop the knowledge of medicinal plants, pharmacognosy, pharmacology, and treatment systems of the traditional system of tribal medicine, Muddha Mooppan Centre for Tribal Medicine Development Hospital was founded in January 2011 (to perpetuate the memory of the late Sri Muddha Mooppan, a renowned tribal healer) under the auspicious of L K Ananthakrishna Iyer International Centre for Anthropological Studies (AICAS), Palakkad, Kerala. We have been able to identify, and assist the tribal practitioners of this system to derive the maximum benefit, ethically and financially, from their expertise.
The main objectives of the Centre are:
1. To protect and safeguard the Intellectual Property Rights of the tribal people of India in their unique medicinal and scientific knowledge system, their pharmacopia and their practical applications;
2. To promote the living standards including health and nutrition of the tribal people.
3. To interface with modern scientific advances like Information Technology for furthering the knowledge base on tribal Medicine.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Friday 9 August, 2013, -Kodali Vijayanthimala (MGNIRSA)
Paper short abstract:
India is yet to achieve the problem of malnutrition particularly in tribal areas. Malnutrition results in poor health and the worst victims are the children in tribal areas. One third of child mortality is attributed to malnutrition.
Paper long abstract:
The present study is an attempt to study the health and nutritional status of the Khond in Andhra Pradesh and their counterparts across the border in Odisha.
The objectives of the study are: to gain empirical knowledge on consumption of food and to measure the gap ,if any, between actual intake and ideal need . The sample of 110 households is drawn from three villages, two in A.P and one in Odisha. The data pertain to Socio-economic and demographic aspects, body measurements, items of food taken in each household and within household by each member.
The results indicate that 74.30 per cent or 3/4 population in the sample is under fed. As per Body Mass Index the men seem to be better nourished than women and 75 per cent children are under nourished. The subjects of the Andhra Pradesh villages are better fed than their Odisha counterparts.
Edward Sankowski (University of Oklahoma) Betty Harris (University of Oklahoma)
Paper short abstract:
Intercultural comparison and connections are possible of Western-style medical authority with other systems (including tribal cultures in Kerala, India represented at the Muddha Mooppan Centre in Kerala). Medical globalization, e.g., tourism involving the US and Kerala generates changes in the ascription of medical authority in both cultural contexts (US and India, e.g., Kerala).
Paper long abstract:
A culture includes a conception of medical authority important for cultural identity. The Muddha Mooppan Centre in Kerala will continue to change the concept of medical authority. Medical authority in the United States is ascribed not only to social roles such as "Western" (e.g., US authorized) medical doctors, but also to associated healthcare roles. Contrary to an idea prevalent among many persons in the West (that medical authority is justified mainly by formal education that is centered on certified scientific and technological expertise) medical authority currently has (and has always had) important aspects that are not entirely scientific in the usual specifically Western sense, but broadly "bio-political-cultural-psychological". Comparisons and intercultural connections are possible of some features of US medical authority with systems in India (including more specifically local tribal systems in Kerala). "Western" style medical authority, when shared with the authority of tribal healers in India, can generate questions about a changing system of medical authority. These changes are a feature of globalization. Medical tourism between the US and India is likely to change medical authority in the US. These changes include but go beyond transnational migration of doctors and other medical personnel such as the well-known Kerala nurses; patient tourism and institutional recognition of cross-border medical authority will need to be addressed. We anticipate that changes will occur in the conception of medical authority that are the outcome of globalization, including contacts between the US and Kerala medical systems.
Kholekile Hazel Ngqila (Walter Sisulu University)
Paper short abstract:
Many African patients attribute illness to a spiritual or social cause, hence they are found to be opting for holistic healing approach. Given this, the study proposes to probe the methods used by the Southern Nguni of the Eastern Cape in South Africa in healing ukuhanjwa illness.
Paper long abstract:
Beliefs about health, as well as what makes people ill, are influenced by culture and these beliefs tend to guide people with which healing approach they should apply. It has also been recognized by medical practitioners that many African patients often attribute illness to a spiritual or social cause rather than a biomedical cause. This has influenced particular African communities to opt for what they consider to be a more holistic healing approach emphasizing the whole body, mind and spirit. Given this, the study proposes to probe the methods used by the Southern Nguni of the Eastern Cape in South Africa in healing ukuhanjwa illness. The Southern Nguni describe ukuhanjwa as an 'attack' of a person, young and old, by the 'familiars' which penetrate the body through any bodily opening, resulting in ukuhanjwa illness. The study works through attributional theory which recognises that illness is attributed to spiritual and social causes, in this instance, the Southern Nguni's recognition of illness signalling the entry into the body by 'familiars'. By probing the specific healing methods of the Southern Nguni, the study seeks to probe how the causal link is constructed between the illness and the familiars, as well as the connection between the illness and the healing methods preferred. The ethnographic focus will be the OR Tambo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Data will be collected using qualitative research methods focusing on in-depth interviews and observations amongst a sample group of 70 participants.
Vellore Pragati (Puducherry Institute of Linguistics and Culture)
Paper short abstract:
Every transition stage of the woman's fertility is performed with rites and rituals. As the barrenness is a severe social consequence matter. This paper brings out the magico-religious and indigenous medical practices to treat the barrenness among the rural dalit women of Pudhucherry.
Paper long abstract:
Marriage is a universal institution and birth of a child is a fulfillment of a cherished dream and the ultimate desire of a married couple. In Indian society, a childless woman is considered as malati or 'dry womb'. Her life will always be seen as incomplete due to her lack of motherhood. Due to her own sterility or her husband's sterility, she is not considered worthy to attend family, religious or social functions as her presence in such occasion is considered inauspicious.
Every transition stage of woman is oriented with her femininity and fertility. Therefore the transition stage of the woman is performed with many rites and rituals in order to honour her femininity and fertility. As the barrenness is a matter serious consequence. This paper brings out the magico-religious and indigenous medical practices for treating the barrenness among the rural dalit women of Pudhucherry.
Itishree Padhi ( BJB Autonomous College, Bhubaneswar)
Paper short abstract:
This paper is based on empirical study to find out the role of village medicine man that acts as the middleman and communicates between God and the community as a part of healing technique to address common illness, besides fortune-telling which has a tremendous impact on the life of people as a whole.
Paper long abstract:
Odisha occupies an important position in the ethnographic map of India for having the largest variety of tribes. Festivals form an essential aspect of socio-cultural life of the tribal people of the state. They are highly religious by the fact that their society and culture is mostly governed by religious beliefs and practices which aim at ensuring personal security, health and happiness as well as community harmony.
The empirical study is conducted in a rehabilitated tribal village of SABAR community. The community has accessibility to modern healing practices. In spite of this it still uses the traditional technique of healing common illness like diarrhoea, dysentery, vomiting, jaundice, hallucination etc besides addressing other allied issues of community.
The SABAR people believe in "goddess Bhuasuni" - the village deity, fondly called as 'Maa Bhuasuni'. The village priest who is also the community medicine man is a devotee of 'goddess Bhuasuni'; he gets possessed by some supernatural power through which he could communicate with the goddess. The period during which the goddess enters into the body of the man and communicates with people is called 'KALISI'. KALISI listens to people's illness/problems and prescribes solutions to manage the same.
Now, the question is … does this practice play an important role in the healing process of people when the village is situated nearest to the capital city having all modern health care facilities? Is it essential for a healthy community life? Does this practice act as a defence mechanism in the community? My paper has tried to analyse these queries.
Arun Das (University of Mysore) B.K. Ravindranath (Kuvempu Institute of Studies)
Paper short abstract:
The main theme of this paper is to highlight the biased policy of the government towards the tribal’s and non tribal’s. The tribal’s who were confined with limited wants and closed type of societal living for the past decades has lead to the downtrodden condition of the tribes in India. The age old proverb say like ‘Only Crying Baby get’s the Milk’ aptly implies to the tribes of India. Their pathetic condition and the problems faced by the tribal’s to cope up with the transforming society at present are the main issues discussed in this paper.The reader of this paper will understand, what were the status of the Kadu Kuruba (forest shepherds) earlier to the enactment of tribal bill and the present status. secondly, this paper is focused upon the changing forest policies of the government and the dilemma existing in the life style of kadu Kuruba’s.
Paper long abstract:
Through the history, it is understood, India was a land of tribals and was abode of tribal's in these forests. Until the migration of people from the adjoin continents and the invasion done by the Europeans there was no sign of civilization. Obliviously, the Indian subcontinent took a long time to attain civilization, has seen elsewhere in the world. During, 15th century A.D, India had equal share of tribal's and civilized population. Since the civilized society was not having unity and they were ruled by number of kings, this weakness gave rise for the establishment of coloninal rule by the Portuguese, French and the British. During the British period, the entire people of indian subcontinent was classified into two categories, such as inclusive and exclusive system in their administration. The inclusive societies were given the ownership of land as per their size of land holding through generation, but, they were subjected to pay tax for their agricultural land. Where as the exclusive category was tribal's, they were kept outside the purview of law during British administration. After the independence, the tribal's were also brought under the purview of law. From the point of development of the tribal's and to bring the tribal's into mainstream of the society, the government of india passed the tribal bill act in 1964. Thus the tribal's were rehabilitated from an independent form of life style to a dependent form of life style.
B.K. Ravindranath (Kuvempu Institute of Studies)
Paper short abstract:
Knowledge and people are the two faces of civilization. Without knowledge no civilization and without people no knowledge. Most of the knowledge has been acquired and transmitted through generations with an interaction of nature. Knowledge traverse through various civilizations has attained its zenith as a reciprocal of present day life. Whereas the knowledge which has confined within the group of people is still seen as most indigenous and virgin without the fragrance of transformation or modification. Those knowledge which traversed through various civilization has lost its virginity beyond the limit of tracing its path.
Paper long abstract:
The original knowledge is still protected and transformed to generations among the tribal people living in the most ancient land blocks like Africa and in India. These tribal people has been cornered into patches where the present tribal generation struggling hard to retain indigenous knowledge and also to strike a balance between the present day way of living and the indigenous knowledge.
Among the various tribes living in patches in different parts of India, The Soliga tribe is one among them distributed along the forest tracts of Western Ghats of south western India. This tribe have a long history of their origin and still they are preserving the indigenous knowledge inherited from their ancestors. Their knowledge about plants, animals, ecological balance and atmospheric variations are unique and genuinely preserved. They have good knowledge about medicinal properties of each plant and animal by-products. This paper reveals their in-depth knowledge about indigenous medicine. Secondly, an earnest effort has been made to make a document of medicinal plants, which are at the verge of extinct. Thirdly, conserving such plants and propagating the value of this knowledge is one of the objectives of this paper.