Kalimantan: A Heaven for Medicinal Plants

Dionisius Reynaldo Triwibowo

· 5 minutes read

Kalimantan forests are not just wilderness but also store "treasures" of thousands of types of medicinal plants.

Unfortunately, the "paradise" of medicinal plants is now “sick” due to massive deforestation. Hardias Sway, 50, who is often called a dukun kampung (traditional shaman) in Kinipan village, Lamandau regency, Central Kalimantan, walks past a betang huma or a typical Dayak house on Saturday morning, on Jan.19, 2019.

He carried his farming equipment inside his lanjung or rattan basket. There is a mandau or machete, a small knife and a packet of rice and a bottle of drinking water. He was on his way to the village\'s customary forest, which was about 5 kilometers away.

When he entered the forest, Sway\'s hands moved her and there. He pinched some plants. He explained in a voice that was almost like a whisper. "This is for a fever. Those spread on the tree can be used for children suffering from a high fever. The plant under it can be used for a toothache," he said.

He put some of the medicinal plants he collected in his rattan basket. Some were only leaves and some were the roots of the plants. One of them was a plant called garu pancolak. Its leaves were wide and long. Both leaves and stems were all green. When the leaves or stems were peeled off, a liquid came out and it was not sticky. "This is for headaches. Just put into the river water, then tap it on the forehead, "Sway said.

Villagers believe Sway understands many types of medicinal plants and their benefits. He is not just a dukun kampung, but also a former mantir or a leader of traditional ceremonies.

At the back of his house, Sway has also opened a demonstration plot for medicinal plants. Various types of plants thrive in the demonstration plot measuring 5 by 5 meters. "Those who are not available here, I look for them in the forest, then plant them here," he said.

One of the famous plants in Sway’s demonstration plot is gambir (Uncaria gambir), which is a medicine for diabetes and diarrhea. "The old leaves are soaked in the water for two hours, then dry in the hot sun until its color changes. It is then grounded and mix into a hot water, "he said.

During the trip in the forest, Sway also continued to hunt for gambir leaves. "The leaves can make teeth strong," he said.

After about 3 kilometers walking in the forest, Sway arrived at an area to be turned into an oil palm plantation of about 3,000 hectares. Many meranti trees with 30-40 meters long were lying on the ground.

As far as the eyes can see, there were no more trees in the area. All have been cut off, lying dead and dried in the ground. Sway and all the Laman Kinipan indigenous people were sad to see the forest’s condition. They never thought the forests in which they hunted and looked for wild boars or deers would disappear.

Sway was quite sad because the location that would be used for the oil palm plantation was where thousands of medicinal plants grew. He no longer has a place to look for medicinal plants to treat the sick people asking him for help.

Understandably, the public health center in his village is rarely visited by nurses, let alone doctors. Most residents rely on the help of shamans. The treatment process is conducted in different ways. The treatment process in traditional ways vary, but the plants are mostly boiled or pounded.

Sway and other village shamans also often use a spiritual method to treat residents. For residents of Kinipan, trees and plants in the forest are a source of life. Many use the forest to make a living that enables them to send their children to school and so on.

Knowledge

Forests are also a source of knowledge. Historically, Dayak people used plants for spiritual activities, for medicine, food and for making utensils. It is why the people are quite dependent on botanical wealth. Some plants are often used in traditional Dayak celebrations. Dawen sawang or andong leaf (Cordyline fruticosa l. Cheva), for example, which is used in a pali hinting ceremony to prevent dangers in the fields.

The managing director of the Borneo Nature Foundation (BNF), Bernat Ripoll, said, based on the results of research in the peat swamp forest of the Sebangau National Park area, there were at least 200 species of medicinal plants. About 100 species of them grow in primary forests. From the BNF\'s research, knowledge of medicinal plants was handed down from the older generation to the younger generation.

The Dayak tribe has learned about the benefits of the medicinal plants before getting to know Western science and mass-produced medicines. The knowledge is part of traditions and customs.

According to Bernat, the knowledge must be maintained and appreciated so that the local culture can be protected. The best way is to develop a good conservation strategy.

The Central Kalimantan provincial government once formed a cross-sectoral team to preserve, develop and disseminate information about the types of medicinal plants. Research is important for the knowledge and existence of the Dayak tradition.

The head of the province’s Health Office, Suyuti, said the preservation continued to be done for the sake of the public health. "Not only for drug consumption, but also for germplasm conservation and research on modern and traditional medicine," he said.

Preserving Kalimantan forests is as important as maintaining Dayak culture, which is rich in natural knowledge. Although the paradise of diversity is sick because of massive deforestation, efforts to heal forests should be further promoted.

Editor:

kompascetak