Ethnobotany of the Kondh, Poraja, Gadaba and Bonda of the Koraput region of Odisha, India

Ethnobotany of The Kondh, Poraja, Gadaba and Bonda of the Koraput Region of Odisha, India



 Merlin Franco F. and D. Narasimhan

D.K. Printworld, New Delhi
10 Digit ISBN : 8124606196

13 Digit ISBN : 9788124606193
Edition : 1st edition

Year : 2012

Pages : xiii, 254p.
 111 coloured photographs, Bibliography; Indices

Size : 25 cm

Weight (approx.) : 750 gm

Price : $ 50

Understanding the ecological knowledge of tribal and rural societies is necessary to conserve and sustain natural resources. This volume discusses the history and importance of ethnobotany with specific reference to four tribal communities of Odisha, India. It begins with an account of the nature of the tribes involved in the study. Based on participatory fieldwork, it presents an insider's account of the tribal culture and its relationship with plants. It provides the ethnobotanical descriptions of 210 species of plants belonging to 77 families, presenting their local names, origin and the medicinal, cultural, culinary, economic, ecological uses of the species. It takes up study of the plants used by tribes in the drug-based and spiritual healing processes elaborating the philosophies behind knowledge transmission such as divination, hereditary, discipleship and kinship. Related aspects such as disease diagnosis, diet restrictions and rituals are depicted in detail. There is a special chapter on forests and non-timber forest products (NTFPs) that details the efforts of communities in forest conservation, their land-use patterns, forest classification systems, list of NTFPs and their harvest-consumption patterns. It also deals with the role of NGOs, middlemen and government agencies in this. Throughout, the emphasis is on the philosophical relationship of the communities with their ecosystem.


The book would prove extremely useful to policy-makers, academicians, social workers and general readers looking forward to accompany the tribal communities towards ethno-sensitive development.

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgement

1. Introduction

2. Locality, Communities and Method of Study

3. Enumeration of Ethnobotanical Plants

4. Ethnotaxonomy of Plants

5. Plants and Concepts in Healing

6. Forests and Non-Timber Forest Products

7. Agro-biodiversity

8. Indigenous Technologies

Plates

Bibliography

General Index

Index of Botanical Names

Index of Local Names

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Ecological elements in the songs of the Poraja and the ancient Tamils - Merlin Franco, F. and D. Narasimhan

Poraja is a Dravidian tribe found in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. The Poraja folk songs reflect nature in various conditions and use ecological elements extensively. This paper brings out the similarity in the usage of ecological elements in songs of the Poraja and in cagkam literature of Tamil Nadu.  The Poraja believe in the existence of forest goddesses for whom, the existence of forests is vital. This is similar to the concept of ‘kaaTamar celvi’ of cagkam literature. In both the Poraja as well as cagkam tradition, natural happenings are used as metaphors to explain the human mood. Offering “paan” is considered as wooing in Poraja culture whereas the same is recited with a negative connotation in cagkam literature. These similarities could be because of the common Dravidian base from which both the traditions had arisen. 

Indian Journal of Eco-criticism (IJE),

Vol. 1. Aug. 2008. 49-54                                                                  

Assessing the Contribution of Local and Traded Biodiversity in Community Health Care: A case study from Keelakodankulam village, South India. by D Ahino Mary, F Merlin Franco, Vivek Babu

Abstract
The study aims to assess the contribution of local and traded biodiversity towards community health care. A total of 106 knowledge holders from the Aatha Pallar community were interviewed and medicinal uses for 70 local plants and 28 plant products purchased from the market were recorded. The Pharmacological Ethnobotanical index was found to be low suggesting knowledge erosion. About 13 plant species used by the community show high Use Value Indices. A majority of the plants used in the community’s medicinal system come from the immediate locality and only a minor part comes from the market, though ones from the market tend to have high use value indexes. The study illustrates that local medicinal plant diversity is important for community health care, which in turn, ensures conservation of the local medicinal plant diversity.

Download full article in pdf format from
Ehtnobotany Research and Applications

http://lib-ojs3.lib.sfu.ca:8114/index.php/era/article/viewArticle/568

Vaavubhali, a Traditional Festival for Remembering Ancestors by Merlin Franco F and D T Rose Robin

Abstract
Remembering ancestors is a part of tradition in every society. In this article, we present the importance of a traditional festival called vaavubhali in the context of ecological and economical services rendered. The festival honours deceased souls and also popularizes the planting of ornamental, medicinal and timber yielding plants. The changing scenario is also depicted.

Download full article in pdf form from
Ethnobotany Research and Applications
http://lib-ojs3.lib.sfu.ca:8114/index.php/era/article/view/199