Table of Contents
How is Bush medicine made?
Generally, bush medicine in Australia is made from plant materials, such as bark, leaves and seeds, although animal products were used as well. A major component of traditional medicine is herbal medicine, which is the use of natural plant substances to treat or prevent illness.
How do Aboriginal people use natural materials?
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples use fibres in their natural state for tying materials and objects together and in the manufacture of clothing. Processed string and cord are used to manufacture nets, baskets, bags, belts and mats for fishing and to catch game, and for other woven or netted items.
What methods did Aboriginal people use and in some cases still use today to get their food from the surrounding environment?
For over 50,000 years, Australia’s Indigenous community cared for country by using land management that worked with the environment. Using traditional burning, fishing traps, and sowing and storing plants, they were able to create a system that was sustainable and supplied them with the food they needed.
How did the Aboriginal people get their medicine?
Most likely, ancient Aboriginal people were unwittingly using animal fat to absorb and deliver the lipid-soluble active ingredient of a natural compound. Without the addition of animal fat, it was likely the medicine would not work. This plant’s thick, leathery leaves could be boiled and applied to relieve ear ache.
How did colonisation affect traditional medicine in Australia?
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians the impact of colonisation and the removal and disconnection of people both from their land and from their traditional families, has had a major effect on the use of traditional practices including traditional medicine [1].
What does the UN say about Indigenous Medicine?
Article 24 of the declaration states that “Indigenous peoples have the right to their traditional medicines and to maintain their health practices, including the conservation of their vital medicinal plants, animals, and minerals” (UN document A/RES/61/295).
Why was animal fat important in Aboriginal medicine?
For this reason animal fat was critically important in the preparation of many traditional medicines. Most likely, ancient Aboriginal people were unwittingly using animal fat to absorb and deliver the lipid-soluble active ingredient of a natural compound. Without the addition of animal fat, it was likely the medicine would not work.
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