Decolonising Herbal Medicine
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The subject matter and content on this page may flow in many directions. The
journey of exploration, or the work required to be done by some of us may not
always be comfortable. The aim is to present narratives, to share
information and examples that promote positive change and good practice moving
forward.
The
plant in the picture speaks to this
conversation. It is know as ‘kallara’ by
the Aboriginal Bundjalung Peoples. Also known as Tea Tree (Melaleuca
alternifolia);many of us are familiar with the essential oil . This plant is estimated to have a global
market income of over 50 million US dollars, projected to rise to 85 million by
2030. Do we know how the current trade has impacted on Indigenous peoples? Is there something to do differently in the future?
Claudia Manchanda delivered this talk to the National
Institute of Medical Herbalists conference in 2021. The presentation is huge in
its scope, dense, harrowing and inspiring. It speaks to the challenge of
building an ethical and holistic approach to herbal medicine and is a call for
work to be done. Claudia creates a template of threads to follow and explore. There is a task is to follow these leads, share what we
find, and consiously intergrate learning and insight to practice.