Inherited cures

The earthy scent of wild herbs hung in the early morning air along the winding paths of Philimi. Mist that engulfed the village in Nagaland’s Zunheboto district clung to the surrounding hills like a secret. Our guide, an elderly herbalist whose decades of knowledge were etched into memory, suddenly stopped to point at a plant by the path. “Alphabo,” he said, “for stomach aches. Chew the root, but not too much.” The flowering plant was Bauhinia variegata. This was the beginning of a journey, one that took us through the villages of Viyili Kiyiqa, Litta and Philimi—home to the Sumi Nagas—listening to stories of plants, of healing, and of wisdom, as old as the forest itself. We had set out to document the ethnomedicinal practices of the Sumi Nagas, whose understanding of health and healing is rooted in nature. What we discovered was more than a catalogue of herbs and cures; it was a living knowledge system that quietly endures in the hills of Nagaland.

Ethnomedicine is more than a term; it is a way of life. It refers to healthcare practices, beliefs and therapies developed through generations of observation and experience. This knowledge, rich, place-based and effective, has sustained communities long before biomedical systems reached these hills. The Sumi Nagas do not keep written pharmacopoeias­ or reference books that list drugs, their identifications and usage. Their knowledge remains embedded in stories and songs, in the memories of bone-setters, midwives and elders, and is passed down orally. These are living libraries, vulnerable to time, migration and cultural assimilation. When such knowledge is not recorded, it gradually fades.

Across the three villages we visited, we conducted interviews and focus group discussions with around 40 informants. These were not just data gathering exercises, but long, respectful conversations held over cups of roasted soyabean tea, under the shade of trees or beside fire-lit kitchens. We met traditional healers who could identify over 50 plant species and tell precisely which part to use, how to prepare it and what ailment it would cure.

Take a few examples. Albizia chinensis (locally known as amwosu) is an anthelmintic…

This article was originally published in the November 16-30, 2025 print edition of Down To Earth