Traditional & Alternative Medicine

Indigenous Healing Practices and Ethnomedicine

Indigenous Healing Practices and Ethno medicine represent some of the oldest and most culturally rich systems of healing in human history. Unlike conventional medicine, which often focuses on the biological aspect of disease, indigenous healing views health as a balance between the physical body, the spiritual world, ancestral forces, and the environment. Illness is often seen not just as a biological dysfunction but as a disruption in one’s relationship with self, others, nature, or the spiritual realm. Indigenous healers including shamans, medicine men and women, herbalists, and spiritual guides play a vital role in restoring this balance through rituals, plant-based remedies, prayers, divination, and other culturally specific practices. Ethno medicine, a field that studies traditional medical knowledge and systems, offers valuable insight into the diverse ways that cultures understand health, illness, and healing.