We have been really busy getting ready to publish a new book about Birhoɽ plant knowledge in India! Our work documenting the traditional plant knowledge of the Birhoɽ (from 2018 to 2021) resulted in a 159-page study of 94 local plant species as well as their Birhoɽ names and various types of uses. This study deals with the cultural traditions of the Birhoɽ tribe, how they manage and wield knowledge of their local ecology or natural habitat, and specifically how they use some of the many plants found in their area of habitation.
The intention of the study is to acknowledge that indigenous Birhoɽ people are of vital importance for local biological (and linguistic) conservation. It also serves to celebrate the vast environmental knowledge that the Birhoɽ community of India possesses and utilizes to their benefit.
While this study is published in English to allow the widest possible group of readers worldwide to gain insight into the vast environmental knowledge of the Birhoɽ community, we are also preparing a version in the Birhoɽ language for local community use alone. There is a diversity of knowledge regarding local environmental resources that characterizes different members of Birhoɽ society, resulting from the different and varied roles and activities of each social actor in their community depending on their age and duties, as well as the level of specialization needed to attain knowledge of certain features.
We examined Birhoɽ traditional plant knowledge by conducting interviews with members of the same family from different age ranges and genders to determine gradients or specialization of knowledge across these groups, and how they may differ or have changed over time. Male and female members of the community with their specific gendered, individual, ethno-medical knowledge were encouraged to share their specialized domains of information. This volume was reviewed by an ethnobotanist colleague who provided valuable feedback as well as wrote a foreword for the book.
We are including screenshots of the final book below.
Image above: The Birhor people’s process of roasting local tubers such as “kukuʧ haser” (Dioscorea villosa) and “patal kõhɽa” (Pueraria tuberosa DC) is an important subsistence practice. After digging (“laj”) to extract tubers (“da”) out of the ground, the Birhor engage in a process of cleaning (“sapʰa-em”) the tubers to remove dirt. Then they proceed to roasting (“seŋgel-re lo-kete esin-em”) the tubers. A small fire is made using twigs and dried leaves (“sakam”) as shown in this image. The tubers are then roasted in the fire and eaten.
________________________________________________
Image above: The sarʤom tree is native to the Indian subcontinent and is spread all over Jharkhand. The fruit (dʒo) is known as sare or sarʤom ʤo. The oil (sunum) extracted from the fruit (dʒo) is used as an ointment for skin diseases and cure for wounds. This oil (sunum) is also used for ear troubles. The latex (ʤer) obtained after peeling the bark (baklaʔ) is used for massage and applied externally on infected areas of cattle (ɖaŋra ɖaŋri). The dried latex (rohoɽ ʤer) is used as dʰumna (a group of resin obtained from the tree). When a fire (seŋgel) is lit, smoke (dʰuŋga) comes out. This smoke (dʰuŋga) is created for different religious practices and keeps insects (like mosquitoes and flies) away. It is also used to cure stomach pain by mixing the powder (lubuʔ) of dʰumna and drinking it with water (daʔ).
You must be logged in to post a comment.