By Nakarin Srilert, Chompunut Sartphan

and Kanokphan Jongjarb

Indigenous Knowledge and Herbal Medicine, Rights and Protection by the local community

A Case Study in Karen Pow Hill Tribe Village,

Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand

Research Method

To collect tacitknowledge and skill in growing, processing, processing and using the medicinal plants.

Thai Herbal Medicine Knowledge Transfer ModelThai Herbal Medicine Knowledge Transfer Model

Transfer ProcessTransfer Process Knowledge Dissemination

Knowledge Dissemination

Community leadersTeachersHerbalistsHerbal HealersSpiritual LeadersMidwivesWomen’s group

Children between 6 -12 years old

To promote herbal medicine knowledge within the community.

To raise awareness and distribute materials;To develop curriculums for informal education centers and local primary school.

Recording the Tacit Knowledge

Recording the Tacit Knowledge

Interviews & Questionnaire

survey

Interviews & Questionnaire

survey

Eco-geographic survey, drawing, songs, plays, clays

Eco-geographic survey, drawing, songs, plays, clays

Local people

Group discussion

Herbal Medicines

• To be used by the traditional hill tribe healers, both men and women .

• To be used and provide a sustainable source of affordable healthcare and food.

• To be used in the treatment of all kinds of maladies.

• To conserve and protect local tradition.• To be used for economic purposes : Primary

source income.

The Research Activities(1)

The research activities start from identifying volunteers, focusing on the children between 6 to 12 years of age.

1. Conducting eco-geographic surveys of herbal plants with the elder using local language.

The Research Activities(2)

2. Medicinal clay activity

The children could make herbal plants and explain its medicinal property of certain part of herbal plants.

The Research Activities(3)

3. Drawing

The children can draw some herbal plants and its environment which reflects good environmental awareness.

The Research Activities(4)

4. Singing and story telling

To help them remember the efficacy of each plant.

The picture of activities

Conclusions• The knowledge transfer model proves to be successful. Various groups

were involved in the project activities and subsequently the community applied the knowledge transfer model in the informal education centre.

• The community pays serious attention on environmental conservation. In the end, they established a centre of herbal plant study to teach the herbal plant to the public.

• The knowledge transfer model empower the community to manage their resources and give pride to Karen hill tribes.

• The project activities support community’s role to manage their natural

resources and the community pays attention on environmental conservation could encourages community to conserve the natural resources for sustainable development.

Conclusions (2)

• The community participants in the project activities could show success of giving community’s role to manage their natural resources in line with the development of a community plan.

Challenges

• The indigenous cultural values and herbal medicinal knowledge should be strengthened by teaching and education (both formal and informal) from a young age.

• To protect intellectual property rights by enacting laws to reject any foreign patenting.

Introduction (1)

• Karen Pow– The hill tribe people live in Kanchanaburi

province.– Their primary career is highland rice growing

and find the forest products.

Introduction (2)

– Their settlement vas proclaimed not forest right.

– The paved road access to their village.

Introduction (3)

• Kaolek village– It is a hill tribe village home to indigenous Karen

Pow people in Kanchanaburi province.– It is far 25 km. from urban.– The 200 years old community is located in a

biodiversity-rich area.