Ethnobotany Of Palau Plants People And Island Culture Volume 2

Ethnobotany of Palau is a two-volume series that examines the relationship between plants, people and traditional culture in the Republic of Palau. Palau is a place where cultural traditions are still intact, including respect for the environment, a value foundational to Palauan society. Based on a decade of field studies that began in 2007 as part of the Plants and People of Micronesia Program, it builds on prior studies of the Palauan flora, and emphasizes the biocultural diversity and wisdom of the Palauan people and their environment. The research included studies of botany, traditional uses of plants, resource management, phytochemistry, conservation and other topics intended to help support "cultural memory" for the people of Palau and the generations who will follow. These volumes result from a collaboration and partnership of the Belau National Museum, the New York Botanical Garden, National Tropical Botanical Garden and other institutions, communities and civic groups involving more than 75 individuals--plant collectors, local experts and ethnobotanical contributors. Volume 2 is an ethnobotanical compendium of information on local uses of plants, contributed by the community, as well as an updated checklist of the vascular plants of Palau. Individual indexes for each volume direct the reader to the material contained in that particular book, so that they can be used separately as needed.

Ethnobotany of Palau is a two-volume series that examines the relationship between plants, people and traditional culture in the Republic of Palau. Palau is a place where cultural traditions are still intact, including respect for the environment, a value foundational to Palauan society. Based on a decade of field studies that began in 2007 as part of the Plants and People of Micronesia Program, it builds on prior studies of the Palauan flora, and emphasizes the biocultural diversity and wisdom of the Palauan people and their environment. The research included studies of botany, traditional uses of plants, resource management, phytochemistry, conservation and other topics intended to help support "cultural memory" for the people of Palau and the generations who will follow. These volumes result from a collaboration and partnership of the Belau National Museum, the New York Botanical Garden, National Tropical Botanical Garden and other institutions, communities and civic groups involving more than 75 individuals--plant collectors, local experts and ethnobotanical contributors. Volume 1 contains an introductory chapter on Palau and its environment, followed by a study of human impact on the landscape; the role of plants throughout Palauan life, from birth to death; the bai, a structure essential to Palauan culture; the relationship of people to the ocean that surrounds them; the importance of dait (Colocasia esculenta), a plant key to sustaining Palauan culture; the importance of traditional medicine; and, ethnomedical and phytochemical studies of Palauan plants.

This abstract outlines the objectives of an assessment conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nation in Palau. The assessment identified three main challenges: firstly, the need to acknowledge and reflect the contributions of women to household and rural economies in policies, strategies, plans and programs. Secondly, gender inequalities limit the capacity of women in Palau to develop their potential. Finally, the recognition of gender equality as a driver to sustainable development is beginning to be incorporated into public policies, strategies, plans and programs. These findings highlight the importance of addressing these challenges in order to achieve greater gender equality and empowerment for rural women in Palau.

Ethnobotany of Pohnpei examines the relationship between plants, people, and traditional culture on Pohnpei, one of the four island members of the Federated States of Micronesia. Traditional culture is still very strong on Pohnpei and is biodiversity-dependent, relying on both its pristine habitats and managed landscapes; native and introduced plants and animals; and extraordinary marine life. This book is the result of a decade of research by a team of local people and international specialists carried out under the direction of the Mwoalen Wahu Ileilehn Pohnpei (Pohnpei Council of Traditional Leaders). It discusses the uses of the native and introduced plant species that have sustained human life on the island and its outlying atolls for generations, including Piper methysticum (locally known as sakau and recognized throughout the Pacific as kava), which is essential in defining cultural identity for Pohnpeians. The work also focuses on ethnomedicine, the traditional medical system used to address health conditions, and its associated beliefs. Pohnpei, and indeed the Micronesian region, is one of the world’s great centers of botanical endemism: it is home to many plant species found nowhere else on earth. The ultimate goal of this volume is to give readers a sense of the traditional ethnobotanical knowledge that still exists in the area, to make them aware of its vulnerability to modernization, and to encourage local people to respect this ancient knowledge and keep such practices alive. It presents the findings of the most comprehensive ethnobotanical study undertaken to date in this part of Micronesia and sets a new standard for transdisciplinary research and collaboration.

"This volume emerges from a ground-breaking conference held in the Republic of Palau on cultural heritage in the Pacific. It includes bold investigations of the role of cultural heritage in identity-making, and the ways in which community engagement informs heritage management practices. This is the first broad and detailed investigation of the unique and irreplaceable cultural heritage of the Pacific from a heritage management perspective. It identifies new trends in research and assesses relationships between archaeologists, heritage managers and local communities. The methods which emerge from these relationships will be critical to the effective management of heritage sites in the 21st century. A wonderful book which emerges from an extraordinary conference. Essential reading for cultural heritage managers, archaeologists and others with an interest in caring for the unique cultural heritage of the Pacific Islands".

Ethnoecology has blossomed in recent years into an important science because of the realization that the vast body of knowledge contained in both indigenous and folk cultures is being rapidly lost as natural ecosystems and cultures are being destroyed by the encroachment of development. Ethnobotany and ethnozoology both began largely with direct observations about the ways in which people used plants and animals and consisted mainly of the compilation of lists. Recently, these subjects have adopted a much more scientific and quantitative methodology and have studied the ways in which people manage their environment and, as a consequence, have used a much more ecological approach. This manual of ethnobotanical methodology will become an essential tool for all ethnobiologists and ethnoecologists. It fills a significant gap in the literature and I only wish it had been available some years previously so that I could have given it to many of my students. I shall certainly recommend it to any future students who are interested in ethnoecology. I particularly like the sympathetic approach to local peoples which pervades this book. It is one which encourages the ethnobotanical work by both the local people themselves and by academically trained researchers. A study of this book will avoid many of the arrogant approaches of the past and encourage a fair deal for any group which is being studied. This manual promotes both the involvement oflocal people and the return to them of knowledge which has been studied by outsiders.

The Republic of Palau in the Caroline Islands has a traditional medical system developed over many generations. The Palau Primary Health Care Manual compiles traditional ethnomedical information about plants and presents it within the context of Western Medicine. Many common health conditions are discussed in this book, including those specific to Palauan culture. The book is divided into chapters that discuss plant therapies used in traditional medical care including preventive medicine, chronic disease, bites and stings, diarrhea and gastrointestinal disorders, skin disorders, cuts, wounds, and broken bones, stress, pain, women's health, men's health, colds and flu, and ear, nose, and throat. Also provided is scientific information about each species including efficacy, pharmacology, and potential toxicity, where known. It is intended as an educational manual for Palau and the Pacific region, an area where traditional medicine and some of the plants used in its practice, are endangered resources. Based on extensive on-island research and a comprehensive review of the literature, the book has been produced by a group of Palauan and international experts, specialists in ethnomedicine, clinical care, public health, biology, conservation, and Pacific Island culture.