Saikat Kumar Basu & Suparna Sanyal Mukherjee
The North-East Indian region, comprising Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim, represents one of South Asia’s richest biocultural landscapes. Biologically and anthropologically linked to the Darjeeling Himalayas of West Bengal, the region is characterised by dense forests, high rainfall, varied altitudes, and exceptional biodiversity. These ecological conditions have supported diverse indigenous communities, including the Naga, Khasi, Garo, Mizo (Lusei), Bodo, Apatani, Mishmi, Adi, Monpa, Karbi, Lepcha, and Tripuri tribes, each possessing extensive traditional knowledge of medicinal plants and healing practices.
Ethnomedicine among North-East Indian tribes is deeply embedded within traditional belief systems, cosmology, and community life. Health is viewed holistically, integrating physical, spiritual, ecological, and social well-being. Traditional healers—variously known as shamans, herbalists, medicine men, and medicine women—serve as custodians of knowledge transmitted orally across generations. Their healing methods combine plant-based remedies, dietary regulation, ritual practices, and spiritual invocation, reflecting the close relationship between nature and human health.
Medicinal plants form the foundation of tribal healthcare systems. Forests function as living pharmacies, providing herbs, shrubs, climbers, and trees used to treat ailments such as fever, digestive disorders, wounds, respiratory infections, skin diseases, arthritis, and reproductive complications. Different plant parts, including leaves, roots, bark, seeds, rhizomes, and latex, are prepared as decoctions, infusions, pastes, powders, or fumigants. Frequently used species include Centella asiatica, Zingiber officinale, Curcuma longa, Acorus calamus, and various species of Clerodendrum. The widespread use of these plants demonstrates generations of empirical observation and experimentation.Ethnomedicinal knowledge is closely linked with sustainable ecological ethics. Sacred groves, community forests, and traditional agricultural landscapes often serve as conservation zones protecting medicinal flora and genetic diversity. Cultural taboos, ritual restrictions, and seasonal harvesting practices help prevent overexploitation and ensure long-term resource availability. Such systems illustrate how indigenous communities have historically integrated conservation with healthcare.
Beyond their therapeutic value, traditional medical systems play an important socio-economic role in remote regions where access to modern healthcare remains limited. Herbal remedies provide affordable and locally available treatment while reinforcing cultural identity and community resilience. However, these systems face growing threats from deforestation, biodiversity loss, climate change, cultural assimilation, and the erosion of oral traditions. Younger generations are often less engaged in traditional learning, while commercialisation of medicinal plants can encourage unsustainable harvesting. Documentation, scientific validation, intellectual property protection, and community-based conservation have therefore become essential for safeguarding this heritage.
Ethnomedicinal Practices of Selected Tribes
Apatani
The Apatani tribe of the Ziro Valley in Arunachal Pradesh possesses a highly developed ethnomedicinal tradition linked to sustainable resource management. More than 150 medicinal plant species are used to treat ailments ranging from headaches and skin disorders to gastritis, jaundice, diabetes, and wounds. Important plants include Acorus calamus, Ageratum conyzoides, Allium hookeri, Solanum nigrum, and Bauhinia variegata. Their practices reflect deep ecological understanding and strong conservation ethics.
Bodo
One of the largest indigenous communities of Assam, the Bodos maintain a rich tradition of herbal medicine transmitted orally across generations. Traditional healers, often called Ojhas, use leaves, roots, bark, fruits, and rhizomes in the form of decoctions, pastes, and infusions. Common medicinal plants include Aloe vera, Clerodendrum glandulosum, Moringa oleifera, and Paederia foetida, which are used to treat ailments such as jaundice, malaria, asthma, fractures, and digestive disorders. Their healthcare practices reflect a holistic relationship among nature, agriculture, and spirituality.
Chakma
The Chakma communities of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, and the Chittagong Hill Tracts possess extensive knowledge of medicinal plants. Traditional healers, known as Baddhyas, use more than 125 plant species, including Oroxylum indicum, Acorus calamus, Ocimum sanctum, Azadirachta indica, and Curcuma longa. These plants are prepared as decoctions, juices, powders, and pastes to treat fever, diarrhoea, respiratory disorders, skin diseases, and inflammation.
Garo
The Garo people of Meghalaya rely heavily on forest-based medicinal resources for primary healthcare. Frequently used plants include Centella asiatica, Zingiber officinale, Curcuma longa, and Clerodendrum colebrookianum. Herbal preparations are commonly employed for treating fever, digestive disorders, wounds, respiratory ailments, and skin infections, demonstrating the community’s close connection with local biodiversity.
Jaintia and Khasi
The Jaintia (Pnar) and Khasi communities of Meghalaya possess rich ethnomedicinal traditions closely associated with sacred groves and forest ecosystems. Local healers use numerous medicinal plants to treat diarrhoea, diabetes, skin infections, hypertension, respiratory illnesses, wounds, and gastric disorders. Notable species include Chromolaena odorata, Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, Potentilla fulgens, and Cinnamomum tamala. Among the Khasi, traditional healers known as nong ai dawai maintain a long-standing tradition of herbal medicine and bone-setting practices.
Lepcha
The Lepchas of Sikkim and the Darjeeling Himalayas are among the oldest indigenous communities of the Eastern Himalayas. Deeply connected to nature through animistic beliefs, they utilize a variety of medicinal plants including Swertia chirayita, Paris polyphylla, Zanthoxylum armatum, and Oroxylum indicum. Traditional healers known as Bongthings employ these plants for treating fever, digestive disorders, wounds, inflammation, toothache, and infections.
Lusei (Mizo)
The Lusei or Lushai people of Mizoram possess a strong tradition of plant-based healthcare rooted in forest ecology. Medicinal species such as Centella asiatica, Clerodendrum colebrookianum, Curcuma longa, Azadirachta indica, Phyllanthus emblica, and Ocimum tenuiflorum are widely used. Remedies prepared as decoctions, infusions, pastes, and smoked plant materials are employed for treating fever, digestive disorders, wounds, respiratory infections, and skin diseases. These practices remain an important component of community well-being and cultural identity.
Meitei
The Meitei people of Manipur maintain a sophisticated healing tradition that combines herbal medicine, dietary practices, and spiritual beliefs. Traditional healers known as Maiba and Maibi use more than 100 medicinal plant species. Commonly used plants include Zingiber officinale, Ocimum basilicum, Centella asiatica, Plumeria, and Acorus calamus. These remedies are administered as decoctions, infusions, and pastes to treat fever, coughs, digestive ailments, wounds, and respiratory disorders.
Mishmi
The Mishmi tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, including the Idu, Digaru, and Miju subgroups, are renowned for their extensive ethnobotanical knowledge. Traditional healers utilize species such as Coptis teeta, Paris polyphylla, Aconitum species, and Ficus semicordata to treat fever, digestive disorders, inflammation, wounds, headaches, and skin diseases. Knowledge of plant identification, harvesting, preparation, and dosage is transmitted orally and reflects a deep ecological understanding of Himalayan biodiversity.
Naga
The Naga tribes inhabiting Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh possess rich medicinal traditions based on forest biodiversity. Commonly used species include Centella asiatica, Acorus calamus, Zanthoxylum armatum, Clerodendrum infortunatum, and Houttuynia cordata. Leaves, roots, and shoots are prepared as decoctions, pastes, or fermented products for treating stomach disorders, infections, wounds, inflammation, and fever. These practices highlight sustainable interactions between communities and their natural environment.
Tripuri
The Tripuri tribe of Tripura relies extensively on medicinal plants for healthcare and spiritual healing. Traditional healers known as Ochai employ species such as Oroxylum indicum, Scoparia dulcis, Jatropha curcas, Kaempferia rotunda, and Euphorbia nerifolia. Leaves, roots, bark, rhizomes, and seeds are processed into decoctions, powders, and pastes to treat malaria, diarrhoea, skin diseases, respiratory problems, bone fractures, and rheumatic conditions. As with many indigenous communities, modernization and declining knowledge transmission pose significant challenges to the continuity of these traditions.The ethnomedicinal practices of North-East Indian tribes represent a remarkable synthesis of biodiversity knowledge, cultural spirituality, and practical healthcare innovation. Developed through centuries of interaction with diverse ecosystems, these systems continue to support primary healthcare, cultural continuity, and environmental stewardship. At the same time, they offer valuable opportunities for pharmacological research, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development. Protecting indigenous knowledge through documentation, community participation, conservation initiatives, and equitable recognition is essential for preserving both the cultural diversity and ecological heritage of the Eastern Himalayan region.
