Health Belief and Healing Practices in Hill Korwa Tribes

Abstract

Health is the primary basis of human origin and its development. Only a healthy person makes a healthy society. A healthy society continuously interacts with the environmental conditions for its development. Health and wellness depend on individual health conditions of each individual. There are many beliefs related to health in the hill Korwa tribes, in which their lifestyle, food habits, socio-cultural and religious beliefs etc. are included. This study is based on health related beliefs of particularly backward “Hill Korwa” tribe located in Bagicha block of Chhattisgarh state. Two gram panchayats of Bagicha block, Pandrapath and Kamarima villages, have been selected on the basis of majority of tribals. The purpose of this study is to find out the beliefs system and treatment methods related to health in hill Korwa tribes. This study is based on primary data, in which qualitative research method has been used to collect the data. Unstructured interview, group interview and interview guide have been included under qualitative research. In the present study several causes of disease were seen in the hill Korwa tribes, in which witch craft, evil eye, wrath of ancestors, for the treatment of diseases related to these, the tribal people go to the Devair of the village ask them to do the exorcism, worship-recitation, special rituals etc. get done. If the cause of the disease is natural and other, then the diseases related to it are treated by using medicines collected from the forest.