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 ways of caring for health. There is no single "Indigenous medicine." This page gives no how-to for any practice. It does not describe ceremonies, sacred or restricted knowledge, or plant preparations. It explains context, how communities and international bodies describe their rights, what clinics run by Native communities say publicly, and how to engage respectfully. Traditional knowledge belongs first to the people who hold it.

What communities say about their own care

We describe a community only where it, or a body it controls, has published its own account.

Alaska Native traditional healing (Anchorage, Alaska). Southcentral Foundation runs a Traditional Healing Clinic. It says tribal doctors assist patients with practices such as traditional physical care, traditional counseling and talking circles, and that patients are referred through their primary care provider. [1] Its healing garden holds edible and medicinal plants it describes as used for generations. [1]

First Nations in British Columbia (Canada). The First Nations Health Authority says traditional wellness is central to improving First Nations health in the province, and describes a goal of partnership between traditional healer practitioners and the Western medical system. [2]

American Indian and Alaska Native traditional care and Medicaid (United States). In October 2024 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved waivers in four states, Arizona, California, New Mexico and Oregon. [3] The Center for Health Care Strategies reports that the approvals do not include a list of covered services, and that the facility decides which services are offered and who can serve as a practitioner. [3] That reflects the diversity of practices among the 574 federally recognized Tribes. [3] Medicaid rules change, so check your state's current policy.

Echinacea (eastern North America). NCCIH says the purple coneflower was originally discovered by Native Americans, who used it for respiratory infections, tooth pain and snakebite. [4] Today it is sold as a supplement, and NCCIH says it may slightly reduce the chance of catching a cold. [4] It shows how a traditional plant use can become a commercial product. See echinacea.

Rights and knowledge stewardship

The United Nations adopted its Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on 13 September 2007. [5] Article 24 says Indigenous peoples have the right to their traditional medicines and to maintain their health practices [6], including conserving their vital medicinal plants, animals and minerals. [6] Article 31 says they have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage and traditional knowledge. [6]

In Canada, the First Nations Information Governance Centre describes four principles, OCAP: ownership, control, access and possession. Ownership refers to the relationship of First Nations to their cultural knowledge, data and information, which a community holds collectively. [7] OCAP is one First Nations framework, not a rule for every people. For the next step, see what is public and what is restricted.

The World Health Organization's Global Traditional Medicine Centre says it promotes respectful knowledge exchange with Indigenous Peoples on medicinal plants and biodiversity conservation. [8]

Respectful use of traditional knowledge

• Ask who is speaking. Prefer information published by the community or its organizations over a general website or a product seller.
• Do not assume access. Some knowledge is not shared with outsiders. UNESCO reports that a book of Kallawaya healing and botanical knowledge in Bolivia is exclusive to Kallawaya communities. [9]
• Be wary of borrowed labels. Words such as "shaman," "sacred" or "ancient" on a product do not show that a community took part. See cultural appropriation and healing products.
• Think about benefit-sharing. The Nagoya Protocol aims at fair and equitable sharing of benefits from using genetic resources. [10] A 2024 WIPO treaty, once in force, will require patent applicants to disclose the country of origin or the Indigenous Peoples or local community that provided associated traditional knowledge. [11]

Traditional knowledge and clinical evidence

Historical or community use is not the same as a tested treatment, and it is not proof of safety. The same standard applies to every approach; see historical use vs clinical evidence. A 2015 review for the National Council of Urban Indian Health said valid, culturally based methods are needed to substantiate Indigenous wellness. [12]

Related pages

Read Latin American and African herbal traditions, sustainability and commercialization and the Native American and First Nations overview.