Pembollo’: a concept of plant-based traditional medicine among kaluppini indigenous people

Abstract

Traditional healing practice is a common practice among indigenous peoples in Indonesia and strongly influenced by their indigenous health system. They have traditional knowledge about diseases, traditional medicines that they employ in daily life as well as traditional practices concerning maternal and childcare. With a qualitative approach, this study aimed to explore traditional medicine applied among mothers in Kaluppini indigenous people. This study found that Kaluppini people applied traditional medicine to cure their sick children. Mothers give Pembollo’, kinds of traditional medicines, like first aid. Kunyi’ (Curcuma longa), daun paria (Momordica charantia), ca’ku (Kaempferia galanga), kaju canning (Cinnamomum verum), kariango (Acorus calamus Linn.) and panini (Zingiber Purpereum Roxb) are commonly used as pembollo’. They mixed them with wai (water) or wai nyio (coconut water) or cani’ (honey). Mothers will employ Ma’pasibali, a concept of combining traditional and modern medicines if the children are still sick. The findings indicate that Kaluppini people have a high belief in traditional medicines to cure their children and it is very important to conserve the biological diversity in their indigenous area.