Guardians of Traditional Wisdom: Ethnomedicinal Practices of Kondh Tribal Healer in Rayagada, Odisha

Author(s)	Dr. Jyoti Singh, Shruti Tiwari
Country	India
Abstract	This paper examines the ethnomedicinal practices of the Kondh tribal community in Rayagada district through the lens of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). Drawing on fieldwork and interviews with practising Kondh healers, it argues that these healing traditions are far more than folk remedies—they form a coherent epistemological system rooted in ecological intimacy, cosmology, and intergenerational transmission. The diagnostic methods, herbal classifications, and ritual practices these healers employ reflect a deep understanding of the body, disease, and environment that pushes back against the epistemic dominance of biomedicine. By situating ethnomedicine within wider debates on knowledge sovereignty and decolonisation, the paper makes the case for urgently preserving this medical wisdom, particularly as forests shrink, communities are displaced, and cultural life is eroded. Kondh ethnomedicine is not merely an alternative healthcare option—it is a philosophical framework woven into land-based identity and collective memory. Recognising it as a legitimate knowledge system matters for how we think about development, equity, and epistemic justice.
Keywords	Kondh, Rayagada,Ethnomedicinal , ritual practice,Tribal healer
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-08-10

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