The initial goal was to identify treatments for the three most common diseases among the Pataxó Hã-Hã-Hãe people of the Caramuru/Paraguassu indigenous land in southern Bahia: parasitic infections, diabetes, and hypertension.
This is how the research of ethnobotanist Hemerson Dantas dos Santos Pataxó Hãhãhãe began. As his name suggests, he belongs to this ethnic group and is currently a doctoral student at the Institute of Environmental, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp).
Later, within the formal framework of academic research, Santos expanded his study and catalogued 175 medicinal plants used by his people. His aim was to recover ancestral knowledge about their use—knowledge that had been gradually lost over time.
Among the various discoveries made during his research, he found that many of the medicinal plants used are, curiously, exotic species introduced later into the territory.
For the researcher, this demonstrates the fragmentation and forced displacement of the original population, alongside environmental devastation, land grabbing, and the establishment of large farms.
“Much of the forest cover has now been lost and turned into pasture. As a result, many of the plants mentioned by the village elders were very difficult to locate, and some have even disappeared,” said Santos, commenting on the main difficulties he faced during his research.
Regarding the study’s results, the researcher identified 43 plants used to treat three diseases: diabetes, parasitic worms, and hypertension. For parasitic worms, the most commonly used plant is wormseed. To combat diabetes, the indigenous people use moringa, and for hypertension, they use lemongrass.
In addition, the investigation found that 79 percent of the 175 plants surveyed have uses consistent with recent scientific literature.
Eliana Rodrigues, the doctoral student’s research advisor, emphasized that the work goes beyond simply recording his people’s knowledge: “It is also about reclaiming that knowledge.” According to her, much of the ancestral knowledge has been lost, but a significant portion has been preserved, as demonstrated by the study.
Peoples and plants
“Santos is the world’s first ethnobotanical researcher,” said Rodrigues, referring to the relationship between the indigenous researcher and his subject of study.
The term “ethnobotanist” refers to the science that describes the relationship between different peoples and their plants. “It documents knowledge about specific cultures, their plants, and their uses for various purposes, such as medicine, food, and construction—both civil and naval,” explains Rodrigues.
The findings of Santos’ research will be published in a book about the study, another book containing recipes for the safe use of plants, and an audiovisual presentation. In addition, a plant nursery has been established in a village for use by the local population.
“They are already growing seedlings in the nursery to distribute among the indigenous people living in nearby villages, in addition to his own village,” added the advisor.
ABr
