Traditional medicine knowledge slipping away
Traditional medicine knowledge slipping away
CanWest News Service
Wed 23 Jun 2004
Byline: Matt Goerzen
Source: CanWest News Service; Saskatoon StarPhoenix
SASKATOON - Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are working with two First Nations communities to bring their traditional medicine into mainstream cardiovascular health practices before the knowledge is lost forever.
``Aboriginal medicine has been highly overlooked,'' said Dr. Rui Wang, head researcher for the Cardiovascular Research Group.
Elders and healers from Lac La Ronge Band and the English River First Nation will work closely with the group to identify traditional herbs. Those with this specialized knowledge are dwindling, said Wang.
``Mostly they're gone,'' agreed Henry Beaudry, an elder from North Battleford, about the people who used to make the remedies. ``It's a special kind to take, you have to remember what colour, what kind (and) what way. It's a good idea to research all these things for young people.''
The research group, formed in January, brings together 23 experts from the university's departments of medicine, veterinary medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and nutrition.
They were inspired by the high mortality rate from diabetes and hypertension in aboriginal communities, Wang explained.
The group will use scanners to identify the active physical components of 26 herbs at a molecular level. They can then synthesize the medicinal components and determine the most effective delivery methods.
Intellectual property rights will be shared with First Nations peoples and they want native scientists to join their team, he said.
``We are hoping someday Canada will have the speciality to train people to practise aboriginal herbal medicine,'' Wang said, noting that similar research in China has resulted in specialized hospitals and universities.
The researchers have identified 39 other bands for future work and eventually want to research how aboriginal medicine can benefit fields other than cardiovascular health.
