In Traditional Herbal Medicines

MIRS CONFERENCE 27th April 2019 Lamkang Indigenous Knowledge on ‘Chukpaa’ in Traditional Herbal Medicines Sumshot Khular Linguistics Department College of Information, University of North Texas. [email protected] • Left –Indian Map and the top right map of NE states the bottom Manipur map. • Circled portion in the map below shows the locations of the Lamkang peoples settlement areas. 2 Research Questions a)What are the Traditional Healing Knowledge that the Lamkang people still practice as of today? b)How does losing of the traditional knowledge leads to language loss? We will then address this question by looking at the use of ‘Chukpaa’. 3 The Lamkang Naga People Lamkang (Ethnologue ISO 639-3 code [lmk]) Tibeto Burman, SOV Word Order, Complex agreement morphology. Endangered and under-ressouced language. The majority of the Lamkang Naga people live in the Chandel and Tengnoupal districts in Manipur in 46 villages. Senapati District Headquarter, Manipur, after the 1990s violent Naga-Kuki ethnic conflicts. Kohima and Dimapur districts in Nagaland state, India due to conflict –the Naga and Kuki conflict. Few speakers living in Tamu township in Myanmar. Total Population 10,000 speakers. 4 The environment of India comprises some of the world's most biodiverse ecozones, like the Deccan Traps, Gangetic Plains and the Himalayas. The picture is Challong village, Pkhui ardaang paar. Look in the slide notes belowFeatures for topics to consider talking about 6 • Traditional Indigenous knowledge handed down through oral teachings to the next generation on culture and its relation to plants and species and animals. Traditional • Ethno- botanical knowledge, of their immediate Environment surroundings. al knowledge • Use of different medicinal herbs and roots & tubers. • Seasonal illness and its treatments. (TEK) • Treating animals. 7 Issues • Lamkangs use different varieties of plants and Loss of plant herbs and roots for treatment of human varieties and illness and animals too. herbs due to • Lamkangs identify local plants by their names deforestation and cultural uses of the same plants using indigenous knowledge, Lamkang ‘Kuulring’ . leaves is used in healing (Maffi 1998). 8 Restriction of the language use, Loss of prohibition and punishment for the language language and cultural use can lead to the loss of language and indigenous results to loss knowledge affecting intergenerational of indigenous transmission of the indigenous knowledge & knowledge and the conservation of the culture biodiversity (Maffi 1998) . 9 Language Lamkang elders are the keepers of convey the linguistically encoded environmental knowledge, such as traditional way of indigenous biodiversity conservation (terracing, manure). knowledge & Ethno-botanical knowledge of the people, management ritual regulation of forest and sacred trees, of natural traditional place- naming, and boundaries. resources Languages encode, convey local indigenous knowledge which brings sound management of the natural resources,(Matsuura 2008). 10 Language & Cultural Wisdom • Language value is not only viewed in terms of communication, but also embodies the unique cultural wisdom of the people (UNESCO 2003). • Culture is linked and influenced, by locally specific relationships between people and the environment resulting in varied values, knowledge and practices, related to the biodiversity. • Variety of life forms including genes ,species, population community and ecosystem, conservation which can be expressed using words or vocabularies (cultural genes & social genes of culture,(Selin 2003). 11 Traditional Healing with ‘Chukpaa’ scientific name Justicia Adhatoda L. (Acanthaceae) • The leaves-used for bathing when one has a fever to calm down & lower the high temperature. • To treat cold, the leaves are roasted over the fire then crush and rub around the neck. • The leaves are washed and boiled in hot water to make a drink(very bitter) I cup add 1 tsf honey. 12 Traditional Healing with ‘Chukpaa’ scientific name Justicia Adhatoda L. (Acanthaceae) • The flower is cooked as a delicious dish with fish and tomatoes. • The flower are fried with tomatoes as a dish. • They are dried and kept for off season use for chutney or singju. • The leaves are fried with pea as a side dish. 13 • Lamkang still uses many of the traditional healing system with the use of the plants and herbs but is confined to elders alone. Conclusion & • The environment can be enhanced and steps for way preserve through collective protection forward from invasion and destructions from encroachers. • Control of setting forest fire for hunting purposes. 14 • Initiate process of the language transmission- intergenerational learning in communities- Lamkang. • Document from elders TEK and Way forward indigenous health healing systems. • Production in written form for dissemination in the community. 15 Akpanpaak chaak enna! Thank you! 16 • Maffi L., 1998.Language:A resource for nature, nature and resource. The UNESCO Journal on the environment and natural resources. 34(4):12-21 • Matsuura K.., 2008.The international year of languages 01, Director General of UNESCO Message for international year of languages, 2008. Works Cited: of the language • Selin H., 2003.Nature across Culture, views in non western cultures, Kluwer Academic publishers. • UNESCO., 2003. UNESCO Ad HOC expert group on endangered languages, language vitality and endangerment, introduction. A group of linguistic and Language Advocates worked in collaboration with UNESCO, from November 2001 and March 2003. 17.

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