Bio-elements in ethno-healing practices among tribes of Chhattisgarh, India

Abstract

This paper is based on the anthropological investigation into ethno-healing practices among two tribes, namely Gond and Halba, in six forest villages of the Kanker district, Chhattisgarh, India. A team of two social anthropologists and one ethnobotanist camped in these villages for three months and conducted the micro-survey, focusing on various dimensions of ethno-healing practices. This paper critically deals with the use of different components of animals for the cure of human ailments and for restoring the self-healing process, community belief system and identification of priority areas towards integrating the indigenous knowledge system with the main spectrum of sustainable development. The paper critically examines the issues of protection of intellectual property rights of tribal innovators, and the adverse impact of globalisation economy and productive resources of indigenous communities in the nascent state of Chhattisgarh, India. The paper points out deficiencies in current legislative frameworks of India and lacunae existing between macro-level and micro-level planning. This paper provides adequate feedback to academics and researchers working on the promotion and revival of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) of tribal communities of India and other regions of the globe.

Indilinga: African Journal of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IAJIKS) Vol. 4(1) 2005: 312-322