Indigenous and Community Traditions: Cultural Context and Respectful Use of Traditional Knowledge

Why this page is different

Indigenous peoples are many, with their own languages, lands, laws and healing practices. There is no single "Indigenous medicine." This page does not give a how-to for any practice, and it does not reproduce ceremonies, sacred or restricted knowledge or plant-preparation methods. It explains context, how communities and international bodies describe their rights, what is publicly shared and how to engage respectfully. Traditional knowledge belongs first to the people who hold it.

Community-specific introductions

We include a community only where the community, or a body it controls, has published its own description.

Ngangkari (Central Australia). The NPY Women's Council says ngangkari are the traditional healers of the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara (NPY) lands in the remote western desert of Central Australia, and that they have looked after people's physical and emotional health for thousands of years. Its Ngangkari Program supports them to continue their work in communities, clinics and hospitals. [1] One of its initiatives, Uti Kulintjaku, is led by ngangkari and senior Anangu and encourages deeper conversations about mental health and healing. [1] We do not describe their healing methods; those are theirs to share.

American Indian and Alaska Native traditional health care (United States). In October 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved waivers in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Oregon that for the first time allow state Medicaid agencies to cover traditional health care practices. [2] The Center for Health Care Strategies reports that the approvals include no list of covered services, because practices vary widely and can have religious or spiritual meaning. Facilities decide which services to offer and who serves as a practitioner, which respects the diversity of the 574 federally recognized Tribes. [2] Check current Medicaid rules in your state, because policies can change.

Echinacea (eastern North America). NCCIH says the purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, was originally discovered by Native Americans in North America, who used it for respiratory tract infections, tooth pain and snakebite. [3] Today echinacea is sold as a supplement, and the research shows mixed results: it may slightly reduce the chance of catching a cold, and it is unclear whether it shortens one. [3] This is a plant story, not a ceremony, and it shows how a traditional use can become a commercial product. See echinacea.

Cultural context and knowledge stewardship

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by the General Assembly on 13 September 2007. [4] Article 24 says Indigenous peoples have the right to their traditional medicines and to maintain their health practices, including conserving their vital medicinal plants, animals and minerals. Article 31 says they have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage and traditional knowledge, including medicines and knowledge of the properties of fauna and flora. [5]

In Canada, the First Nations Information Governance Centre describes four principles known as OCAP: ownership, control, access and possession. Ownership refers to a community's relationship to its cultural knowledge, data and information, which it holds collectively. [6] Control affirms the right to direct research and information management that affects the community. [6] Other peoples have their own protocols; OCAP is one First Nations example, not a universal rule.

The World Health Organization's Global Traditional Medicine Centre says it promotes respectful knowledge exchange with Indigenous Peoples on medicinal plants and biodiversity conservation, and equitable access, use and benefits. [7]

Respectful use of traditional knowledge

• Ask who is speaking. Prefer information published by the community or its organizations, such as the NPY Women's Council, over a general website or product seller.
• Do not assume access. Some knowledge is not shared with outsiders, and that is the community's right. UNESCO reports that a book of Kallawaya healing and botanical knowledge in Bolivia will be exclusive to Kallawaya communities. [8]
• Be wary of borrowed labels. Words such as "shaman," "sacred" or "ancient" on a product do not show that a community took part or approved. Look for community-led or benefit-sharing arrangements.
• Consider benefit-sharing. The Nagoya Protocol aims at the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resources. [9] A 2024 WIPO treaty, once in force, will require patent applicants to disclose the country of origin of genetic resources or the Indigenous Peoples or local community that provided associated traditional knowledge. [10]

Limits of publicly available information

Public sources are incomplete, and some of that is deliberate. Some practices have religious or spiritual meaning and are not offered as lists of services [2], and some documented knowledge is kept for the community alone [8]. A written summary, including this one, cannot stand in for a relationship with a community, or with a practitioner the community accepts. Use this page as orientation, not instruction.

Safety and when to see a clinician

Traditional and conventional care can work together. The NPY Women's Council describes ngangkari working in clinics and hospitals. [1] Tell your regular clinician about anything you use or any healer you see, especially if you take prescription medicines. [11] For plant products, see herb safety guidance and talking with a health professional.

Related pages

Read historical use vs clinical evidence, sustainability and commercialization and Latin American and African herbal traditions.