Researchers and lecturers deliberate on traditional medicine practices of Nagaland

Lumami, November 22 (MTNews): Nagaland University, Hqrs Lumami organized a lecture program on ‘Traditional Medicine Practices of Nagaland’ on Monday at I. Ihoshe Kinimi Hall under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Dr. Neizo Puro, Department of Botany, speaking as a resource on the program and discussing ‘Types of Ethno medicinal Practitioners: Indigenous Knowledge of some Naga Tribes,’ stated that the tribal people of Nagaland survived on the bioresources available to them and that the indigenous knowledge system is a part of their social and cultural life, sustaining them since time immemorial.

He also stated that the use of ethno-medicinal plants for the treatment of various ailments is a common practice among Naga tribes, and that these knowledge systems are passed down orally from generation to generation.
He asserted that with the realization of the benefits of using natural remedies, there appears to be a shift toward the use of ethno-medicinal plants today. “This trend has emphasized the importance of conserving and reviving the indigenous knowledge system in a meaningful way for sustained use where about 95% of medicinal plant collection is found in the wild,” he added.

He also identified four types of practitioners in Nagaland: Practitioners who rely on their own experience and knowledge passed down from their ancestors; Practitioners who rely on spirits or visions from supernatural beings; People who claim to have animal spirits such as tigers, snakes, and so on, as well as Kopiraz (bonesetters) or people who specialize in bone fractures, sprains, and so on.

“However, such traditional practices/knowledge are not well documented,” he said, adding that “in most cases, it is difficult to document the traditional knowledge on effective plant use acquired through years of experience.”

Furthermore, according to him, the traditional practitioners neither divulge all the information nor are they willing to share the knowledge.

He also emphasized the threats to Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, as well as some sustainable measures to conserve and enhance the practitioners’ existing knowledge system. Among other things, he said, practitioners should be acknowledged and duly certified by the government, and assistance should be provided to revalidate applications with scientific approaches for future generations, as well as the marketability of their products.

He also stated that growing medicinal plants could be a fruitful alternative for farmers in Northeast India. He concluded by saying that tribals have a strong interest in medicinal plants and their applications, and therefore this knowledge should be harnessed.

Judith Huidina, Research Scholar, Department of Sociology, also spoke on “Traditional Medicine Practices in Nagaland.” She began by highlighting that every aspect of the lives of the Nagas was greatly dependent and closely linked to the forces of nature and the resources mother earth provided until recently.

“Animistic rituals and practices have evolved since ancient times due to our strong dependence on the natural environment,” she said adding that the choice of treatment or prevention of an undesirable state of health for indigenous communities was based on their historical experiences, beliefs, and understanding of the causative factors,” she explained.

She underscored the traditional understanding of health as a state of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being, rather than just the absence of disease, disability, or death. As a result, according to her, traditional practices included beliefs, customs, rituals, folklore, taboos, and prescriptions involving plant, animal, and mineral species.

She further continued that the Nagas have traditionally developed a number of preventive, curative, palliative, and primitive medicines, procedures, and practices, as well as supplementary customs and rituals.

“The Naga ancestors had identified the medicinal values or qualities of various foods and included them in their diet; the types of food eaten, how it was prepared, the quantity consumed, and the frequency with which it was consumed were all designed to benefit the individual. Certain animals, such as the dog, porcupine, cricket, and others, appear to have specific medicinal values in addition to providing much-needed protein and nutrition,” she said.

“In the Naga context, traditional healthcare providers have included bone setters, herbalists, traditional midwives, diviners, faith healers, and prayer warriors,” she explained.

In his speech, the Chief Guest, Prof. Jagadish Kumar Patnaik, Vice Chancellor of Nagaland University, emphasized the value of traditional knowledge and asserted that India has a rich tradition.

“Many great civilizations have crumbled and disappeared, but Indian civilization has sustained because of its enriched knowledge system and holistic outlook,” he said, and this holistic element, he believes, is the blueprint to a healthy aspect of our daily lives.

In modern times, despite various innovations and inventions, there is no balance of mind or peace of mind which makes us suffer from many ailments. So, we should try to maintain equilibrium, a harmony in our lifestyle and with nature so as to keep ourselves healthy, he said.

“We have to look, re-look, discover to rediscover again,” he added and encouraged the Department of Botany to offer diploma courses on Ethno medicinal plants or traditional medicine in collaboration with the proposed School of Horticulture.

Dr. Deepak K. Bhaskar, Department of Political Science, presided over the event, and Prof. Upasana Bora, HoD, Department of Chemistry, delivered the welcome address. Prof. Athungo Ovung, HoD, Department of Sociology, delivered the vote of thanks.