A Brief Study of Ethnobotany
The Definition and Origins of the Investigation of Indigenous Plants
Botany is defined as the study of plants; ethnobotany is a study of how plants are used by the indigenous people of a particular culture or region. Uses of the plant may include food, medicine, shelter, hunting, clothing and even religious occasions. All cycles of life – birth, marriage, death – are 'celebrated' with plants in some cultures.
However, neither botany or ethnobotany is a recent phenomenon; botany has always been linked to furthering the use of plants for medicinal use and many modern day drugs were derived from traditional plant sources. Many explorers have documented the use of plants by indigenous tribes too, a 'predecessor' to ethnobotany.
Use of Plants by Different Cultures
For centuries, native people of all countries have used plants for various reasons; long before records began, plants were being used. One of these disciplines with which plants have been associated is medicine. It is believed that one of the oldest known books on plants is Vedas, used by the Indians for thousands of years, and is still in use today in Ayurvedic medicine.
Ancient Egyptians were well known for their use of plants for medicinal uses and placed great value on a plant. They used them both physically (as in the whole plant) and for their aromatic uses. The Nile valley was known as the Cradle of Medicine. Plants have been recovered from the excavations of the tombs of the Pharaohs, indicating their perceived power not just in this life, but in the afterlife too.
Native American Indians have a long history of using plants for medicinal purposes, as well as for food. Spiritual beliefs too also played a part in healing rituals. Corn for example, was, and still is, seen as an important part of Native American traditions as it is used as a food, medicine and in rituals.
The Work of an Ethnobotanist
There are large parts of South America which are covered by jungles and rain forests. Within this wilderness, there are many plant species which have potential medicinal value, some of which are known, others which have yet to be discovered. Indigenous cultures have used these plants for centuries but scientists have yet to learn the full value of these plants.
An ethnobotanist is a person who is trained in botany and also has an understanding and sensitivity of cultures who use these plants. The ethnobotanist works with native people to understand the value of how the plants are used. In many cultures, it may be the shaman with whom the ethnobotanist works most closely.
An expedition to collect the relevant data for the study of the plants takes many months of preparation and an equal amount of time in collecting the relevant data and plants, obtained by co-operation with the local shamans or healers. Many ethnobotany expeditions are to remote and unknown communities deep within the tropics.
Preserving Plant Knowledge for the Future
Through the study of ethnobotany, the implications of the loss of the rain forests have been highlighted. The loss of many tropical plants, in addition to the extinction of some indigenous tribes, is detrimental to the ecology of the earth. Native people are being driven from traditional values to 'Western' ways in order to survive.
Preservation of the value of plants can only be maintained with the help of the indigenous people who have used this knowledge for centuries. The study of ethnobotany provides an opportunity to observe the traditional use of plants and to use this knowledge to help protect the earth's ecology from further damage.
References:
Kavasch, E. Barrie, Baar, Karen 1999 American Indian Healing Arts New York : Bantam
Price, Shirley 2000 Aromatherapy Workbook London, UK: Thorsons
For Further Reading:
tropical flowers in the rainforest
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