Fataluku medicinal ethnobotany and the East Timorese military resistance.
BACKGROUND
An ethnobotanical study of medicinal and poisonous plants used by the East Timor resistance was undertaken in the Lautem District of East Timor to study medicinal plant use in the region. Interviews were conducted with a single key consultant from the resistance army who belonged to the Fataluku culture. This study is of importance as a historical document and because no previous medicinal ethnobotanical studies on this region exist.


METHODS
A rapid ethnobotanical survey of medicinal and poisonous plants was conducted through the proposed Conis Santana National Park in the Lautem district of East Timor. Medicinal and poisonous plants were identified by a Consultant and data was collected by the authors using classical descriptive ethnobotanical techniques (i.e. no quantitative measures) through an unstructured open ended interview.


RESULTS
During the survey 40 medicinal and poisonous plants were identified by the Consultant and collected by the authors. Defining characteristics of the Consultant's knowledge include a high frequency use of trees, heavily forested habitats, leaves, decoctions and drinks for a range of conditions relevant to a resistance army.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite limitations of the study, important contributions of this study include preservation of a part of the cultural history of the resistance movement and traditional botanical knowledge of the Fataluku. Furthermore, initial findings may indicate that traditional botanical knowledge is unique amongst different East Timorese cultures in terms of plant selection.
Collins
Sean W M
SW
Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. seancollins99@hotmail.com
Martins
Xisto
X
Mitchell
Andrew
A
Teshome
Awegechew
A
Arnason
John T
JT
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D017753:Ecosystem; D019448:Ethnobotany; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000145:classification; D010947:Plants, Toxic / Q000145:classification; D049648:Timor-Leste; D014857:Warfare
D028321:Plant Preparations