scholarly journals Contemporary Art Practice and Indigenous Knowledge

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-128
Author(s):  
Gerald McMaster

AbstractIndigenous artists are introducing traditional knowledge practices to the contemporary art world. This article discusses the work of selected Indigenous artists and relays their contribution towards changing art discourses and understandings of Indigenous knowledge. Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau led the way by introducing ancient mythos; the gifted Carl Beam enlarged his oeuvre with ancient building practices; Peter Clair connected traditional Mi'kmaq craft and colonial influence in contemporary basketry; and Edward Poitras brought to life the cultural hero Coyote. More recently, Beau Dick has surprised international art audiences with his masks; Christi Belcourt’s studies of medicinal plants take on new meaning in paintings; Bonnie Devine creates stories around canoes and baskets; Adrian Stimson performs the trickster/ruse myth in the guise of a two-spirited character; and Lisa Myers’s work with the communal sharing of food typifies a younger generation of artists re-engaging with traditional knowledge.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gideon Woldemariam ◽  
Sebsebe Demissew ◽  
Zemede Asfaw

Abstract BackgroundIndigenous or traditional herbal medicine has been widely regarded as a resource for strengthening the health care systems among communities of low income countries including Ethiopia. The Yem people in Ethiopia have deep-rooted and ancient traditional knowledge of managing human ailments and health conditions using medicinal plants (mps). On the other hand, mps and the associated indigenous knowledge are under erosion due to human-induced and natural factors. Therefore, documenting the plant biodiversity along with the associated indigenous knowledge is of urgent task for conservation. MethodsThis study was conducted in April, 2013, October, 2016 and July, 2016 with the objective of documenting traditional mps in different land uses that are used for treating human ailments. Ethnobotanical data were collected from 69 informants that were selected by stratified random sampling and purposive sampling. Vegetation data were obtained from 30, 30x30 m quadrats. Ethnobotanical data were analysed using paired ranking, Informant consensus factor and Fidelity Level index. ResultsAbout 213 medicinal plant species that are used for treating 117 human ailments were recorded. ICF calculated depicted a highest ICF value of 0.82 for Gastrointestinal & Visceral organs ailments. Haplocarpha rueppellii, Carduus schimperi and Inula confortiflora each 100%, Maesa lanceolata 80% and Rumex abyssinicus 75%. Vegetation analysis showed three plant communities.ConclusionThe Yem people have rich traditional knowledge of utilising plants side by side with the mainstream biomedical system for maintaining human health care.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-47
Author(s):  
M Nagalakshmi ◽  
S Rashmi

An ethnobotanical survey was conducted to collect information from traditional healers on the use of herbal medicine in Doddakavalande Hobli, Nanjangud taluk of Mysore District. The indigenous knowledge of local healers was documented through questionnaire and personal interviews. In the present study, about 19 respondents of age group between 50 to 89 yrs gave information of traditional medicines used to cure different ailments. Of about 35 plant species belonging to 26 families were used for the treatment of human ailments. In which family Fabaceae and Polygonaceae contained 3 plant species, followed by Acanthaceae, Amaranthaceae, Apocynaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Poaceae contained 2 species each, and the rest of the families Amaryllidaceae, Anacardiaceae, Apiaceae, Aristolochiaceae, Asteraceae, Cleastraceae, Crassulaceae, Lamiaceae, Lecythidaceae,  Meliaceae,  Olaceae, Phylanthaceae, Piperaceae,  Plumbaginaceae, Poaceae, Polygonaceae, Rutaceae,  Smilacaceae, Solanaceae,  Styracaceae and Zingiberaceae. Habit wise analysis of medicinal plant species used indicated that herbs (19 species) were the most preferred life form followed by trees (8 species), shrubs (5 species) and climbers (3 species) for drug formulation. Herbal formulations were administrated either internally or applied externally depending on the type of ailment. Local people in the study area possess traditional knowledge of medicinal plants to treat various human ailments, therefore it is necessary to preserve the indigenous knowledge on traditional medicines by proper documentation, identification of plant species used, and herbal preparation. Keywords: Ethnobotany, Traditional knowledge, Medicinal plants, Mysore district.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anna-Marie White

<p>The production of taonga is a sovereign Māori tradition closely guarded in contemporary Māori society. Many Contemporary Māori Artists observe taonga principles in their work though these qualities are stifled within the New Zealand art system. In the 1990s these subjects were fiercely debated resulting in Contemporary Māori Art being defined differently to the ancestral tradition of taonga. This debate created a rupture, which disturbs the practice of Māori art and is a major concern in the emerging practice of Māori art history. Reviving earlier arguments for Contemporary Māori Art to be defined according to the principles of taonga, this thesis applies the concept of ‘contemporary taonga’ to the art works of Brett Graham (Ngāti Koroki Kahukura), to argue that taonga production is active in contemporary Māori life and offers a new method to reconcile Māori art histories.  The practice of Kaupapa Māori research and theory enlivened the taonga principles of Brett Graham’s art works. Intensive accounts of two art works, produced a decade apart, reveal ‘contemporary taonga’ to be a collaborative process involving recognition and instrumentalisation by authoritative Māori viewers. Kahukura (1996), produced in response to the debates was, however, overwhelmed by competing interests of the time. Āniwaniwa (2006) undertook an arduous journey—to the centre of the Western art world in order to be shown within the artist’s tribal rohe—where Ngāti Koroki Kahukura kaumātua recognised Graham as a tohunga. Iwi leaders also employed Āniwaniwa in their Treaty of Waitangi claims process, functionalising the art work as taonga to support the advancement of their people. Āniwaniwa then left New Zealand to play a role in the formalisation of an international indigenous art network.   As a type for contemporary taonga, Āniwaniwa is an expansive model to introduce this concept to contemporary art discourse. The impact of this concept is yet to be realised though immediately reconciles long-standing issues in Māori art. ‘Contemporary taonga’ has the potential to radically reconcieve, and reorganise, Contemporary Māori Art practice and history according to the practice of ancestral Māori traditions and determined by the authority and agency of Māori people.</p>


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-32
Author(s):  
Shipra Sharma ◽  
◽  
Vishavjit Kumar ◽  

The present paper deals with ethnomedicinal knowledge of Gentiana kurroo among people of Uttarakhand. The local people were interviewed on the basis of their traditional knowledge on the various uses of this plant found in the adjoining forest areas. New approaches of research, development and conservation strategy can help preserve and utilize the indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants for humankind.


Author(s):  
William Milliken

Surveys of medicinal plants and fungi among five indigenous groups in Roraima, Brazil, were identified in the 1990s but not published.  Most of the 52 species reported here were unknown in the literature for the same medicinal purpose when the data were collected, but 25 years later this has changed. Some of the ‘repeated’ data were collected in Roraima, but most were recorded elsewhere. It is likely that some of the traditional knowledge will have been lost by now, with old informants not passing their knowledge to younger generations. More work should be done on recording indigenous knowledge in Roraima, preferably by indigenous people. Efforts to recuperate traditional knowledge will benefit indigenous culture health and livelihoods.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anna-Marie White

<p>The production of taonga is a sovereign Māori tradition closely guarded in contemporary Māori society. Many Contemporary Māori Artists observe taonga principles in their work though these qualities are stifled within the New Zealand art system. In the 1990s these subjects were fiercely debated resulting in Contemporary Māori Art being defined differently to the ancestral tradition of taonga. This debate created a rupture, which disturbs the practice of Māori art and is a major concern in the emerging practice of Māori art history. Reviving earlier arguments for Contemporary Māori Art to be defined according to the principles of taonga, this thesis applies the concept of ‘contemporary taonga’ to the art works of Brett Graham (Ngāti Koroki Kahukura), to argue that taonga production is active in contemporary Māori life and offers a new method to reconcile Māori art histories.  The practice of Kaupapa Māori research and theory enlivened the taonga principles of Brett Graham’s art works. Intensive accounts of two art works, produced a decade apart, reveal ‘contemporary taonga’ to be a collaborative process involving recognition and instrumentalisation by authoritative Māori viewers. Kahukura (1996), produced in response to the debates was, however, overwhelmed by competing interests of the time. Āniwaniwa (2006) undertook an arduous journey—to the centre of the Western art world in order to be shown within the artist’s tribal rohe—where Ngāti Koroki Kahukura kaumātua recognised Graham as a tohunga. Iwi leaders also employed Āniwaniwa in their Treaty of Waitangi claims process, functionalising the art work as taonga to support the advancement of their people. Āniwaniwa then left New Zealand to play a role in the formalisation of an international indigenous art network.   As a type for contemporary taonga, Āniwaniwa is an expansive model to introduce this concept to contemporary art discourse. The impact of this concept is yet to be realised though immediately reconciles long-standing issues in Māori art. ‘Contemporary taonga’ has the potential to radically reconcieve, and reorganise, Contemporary Māori Art practice and history according to the practice of ancestral Māori traditions and determined by the authority and agency of Māori people.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Akwe Masango

This paper is located within global debates about the codification of indigenous knowledge (IK) practices vis-à-vis traditional medicine in Africa. Following a theoretical research based on an extensive literature review, the paper questions whether it is possible to codify all elements embedded in Africa’s indigenous knowledge practices in traditional medicine following that the medicine encompasses esoteric and non-esoteric elements. There is a persistent plea for the elements of Africa’s indigenous knowledge practices in traditional medicine to be codified and to desist from its status-quo phenomena of secrecy for posterity. Within Africa’s indigenous knowledge (IK) practices in traditional medicine are certain aspects that it may not be possible to codify. The non-esoteric aspect of African traditional medicine can be codified as it encompasses no secret, while the esoteric aspect may not be codified as it is considered to be secret for a select few traditional healers who exploit it for livelihood. The raison d’être for the examination stems from the notion that Africa’s indigenous knowledge practices in traditional medicine has a high livelihood potential, hence needs to be protected. Traditional healers have over generations fostered relationships with other groups, creating a complex web of high levels of cooperation, exchange and support that are essential for livelihood. Their fast erosion due to internal and external factors poses a serious threat to livelihood development in the subregion. The lack of codification of Africa’s indigenous knowledge practices in traditional medicine gives an urge to western pharmaceutical companies, who make huge profits from indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants. With further theoretical research, the paper exposes the esoteric and non-esoteric elements that encompass African traditional medicinal plants and the possible reasons why the status-quo based on secrecy persists within the esoteric aspects of the medicinal plant practices and how the status-quo may be uplifted within intellectual property rights (IPR) in the form of patent and other approaches for posterity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1-s) ◽  
pp. 275-285
Author(s):  
Kamatchi Aadhan ◽  
SubramaniamParvathi Anand

An ethnobotanical exploration, an attempt has been made to survey the indigenous knowledge on herbal medicines used as a therapy for skin disorders by the Paliyar tribes of Sadhuragiri hills. The purpose of this study is to assess traditional knowledge on medicinal plants which forms a baseline data for future pharmacological and phytochemical studies, to identify the vital species used for skin medicine, finding out methods for various preparations, and calculate the % informants in relation to medicinal plant use. In this study frequent field trips were made for the collection of plant specimens and information on medicinal aspects from traditional healers and women folk through questionnaire and interviews. The information of herbal preparation, parts used, mode of administration and local name was also taken during the study period. The present study has resulted in the documentation of 50 medicinal plant species belonging to 26 families and 41 genera used by the Paliyar for treatment of different skin ailments, viz. Scabies, Skin allergy, eczema, Wound swelling, Ring worm, itches, Heal crack, Burn wounds, Poison bite infection. The findings of present study shows documentation of 20 plant species which are found little known or less reported in available published literature. The Paliyar tribe lives interiorly in the forest localities and Government is making policies to rehabilitate them outside of forest areas, it is necessary to tap their rich heritable traditional knowledge on medicinal plants within time before it become vanished due to modernization. A inclusive detailed search and report on the pattern of utilization of medicinal plants by this tribe has not evidenced in the earlier publications. Therefore, present attempt has been made to document traditional knowledge of Paliyar tribe used to treat different skin disorders by production various herbal preparations. Keywords: Paliyar tribe, Herbal medicines, Skin disorders, Indigenous knowledge, Sadhuragiri hills.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-199
Author(s):  
T Purushothaman ◽  
K Irfana Mol

The nature endowed with hidden resources of biodiversity comprises of various flora and fauna. The indigenous knowledge about the ethnobotanicals is vital for the conservation of traditional medicine as well as for future research. The documentation of indigenous medicine through botanical studies is also one of the aspects of the conservation and utilization of biodiversity. Kerala has many diverse ethnic tribal communities, and they are still following the traditional system of healing with the help of various biological resources. Each tribal communities have different lifestyles, and they are distributed in the various parts of Kerala. The tribals possess a traditional knowledge of uses of medicinal plants and employ different plants for curing diseases and infections. But, this valuable information is not documented properly. The tribal communities, along with their knowledge, have been diminishing due to the vanishing of forests as well as rapid modernization. But, the proper documentation and utilization of indigenous knowledge of tribes about the diverse medicinal plants will be useful for the development of novel drugs. Hence, we have attempted for the documentation of valuable tribal knowledge on medicinal plants, which would potentially serve as a useful reference for future researches. This article provides the list of plants used by the selected primitive tribal group of Kerala such as Kani, and Kurichiyar to treat various diseases.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 46-51
Author(s):  
Harilal Upadhaya

The medicinal knowledge of plants is very common among the tribal people but much of the information is not yet documented. The purpose of the present study was to document information on medicinal plants used by the people of Kristi village, Pokhara, Nepal. A total of 42 medicinal plant species belonging to 39 genera and 29 families were documented each with local name, uses and mode of administration. The study indicated that the indigenous people widely accepted the traditional knowledge on the utilization of medicinally important plants.


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