Ethnobiological Study of the Plants Used in the Healing Practices of an Indigenous People Tau Taa Wana in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

Documentation of indigenous knowledge through ethnobotanical information is very important for the conservation of biodiversity and biological resources. Indigenous knowledge is very unique in every culture, and this study aimed to conserve indigenous knowledge which was traditionally passed down through oral tradition. This study provided significant ethnobiological information of medicinal plants used in mobolong, a healing practice of an indigenous people, Tau Taa Wana, in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Mobolong is considered by Tau Taa Wana as the most important cultural identity and distinguishing them from the outsiders. We gathered information of local names of medicinal plants, identified plant species and collected herbarium specimens. Structured interviews were conducted with Tau valia, the traditional healer, to record the native knowledge of herbal treatment in medicinal and healing practices.