Concoctions of emu bush leaves were used by Northern Territory Aboriginal tribes to wash sores and cuts; occasionally it was gargled. In the last decade, leaves from the plant were found to have the same strength as some established antibiotics.
Some of the main techniques for healing include pampuni (a touch or massage technique), bush medicine, smoking ceremonies and spirit realignment. Some traditional medical settings in South Australia and Central Australia are beginning to invite Ngangkaṟi Healers to work alongside doctors in their hospitals.
Depending on a client's problems, Ngangkari healers offer three main techniques: a smoking ceremony, bush medicines or spirit realignment. They use their hands to remove pain, blockages or obstructions.
Plant Use : Plants used to make fibres, tools and utensils. In many Aboriginal societies making objects from plant fibres was an important activity. Items needed for hunting as well as for carrying and collecting food were made along with ritual objects for use in religious ceremonies.
Here the Aboriginal peopl relied more on the seeds of native grasses, and wattles such as Mulga (Acacia aneura), Wiry Wattle (Acacia coriacea), and even seed of the Coolabah tree (Eucalyptus microtheca).
Plants from Eucalyptus species have special importance for the Dharawal indigenous people and are used for their anti-inflammatory activity along with other medicinal uses as well as for shelter and weapons.
There are seven natural ways of emotional discharge and healing in Indigenous cultures: shaking, crying, laughing, sweating, voicing (talking, singing, hollering, yelling, screaming, etc.), kicking, and hitting. All of these need to be done in a constructive manner so as to not harm another spirit.
Traditional healing refers to the health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs that incorporate First Nations healing and wellness. These practices include using ceremonies, plant, animal or mineral-based medicines, energetic therapies and physical or hands-on techniques.
Traditional Aboriginal medical treatment includes bush medicines, the traditional healer, singing/chanting, and external remedies. Two of the most common diagnoses are the presence of foreign objects in the body and that there is something wrong with a body organ.
Bush medicine refers to ancient and traditional Aboriginal use of native Australian botanicals for the use of physical & spiritual healing, that has been in practice for thousands of years.
Ceremonies may also involve people from different Aboriginal language groups. After feasting and shared dance ceremonies, elders and lore people of the respective language groups would discuss lore and consequences for breaches. Others would bring gifts and trade items such as food, raw materials or special objects.
The Aboriginal people of the rainforest invented the bicornual basket to act as a sieve for the ground seeds. They knew that placing the basket in running water, loaded with the ground seeds, the toxins would leach out.
Acacia aulacocarpa, Buckinghamia celsissima, Callistemon salignus, Allocasuarina littoralis, Eucalyptus major, Leptospermum bracteata, Leptospermum juniperium and Syzygium australe were also good antibacterial agents, each being capable of inhibiting the growth of the majority of bacteria tested.
Leaves: The soft bases of the young leaves were sweet and had a nutty flavour. Tough leaves were used as knives to cut meat. This in one of the native plants which flowers in response to fire. Barbed hunting spear with base made from Grass Tree flower stalk.
The Medicine Wheel, also known as “the sacred hoop,” is used by many Native American tribes as a symbol of healing and health.
There are four Sacred Medicines: Tobacco, cedar, sage, and sweetgrass. These are traditional medicines that have physical qualities for medicinal purposes, and a spiritual aspect used in traditional healing and ceremonies.
In the form of activity, self-healing can be done in various ways such as relaxation through breathing; contemplation with meditation or yoga, and creating positive emotions that will have an impact on the emergence of endorphins or often called 'happy hormones'. Furthermore, art-therapy can also be a solution.
Holistic Medicine: Types of Treatments
This may include diet, exercise, psychotherapy, relationship and spiritual counseling, and more. Complementary and alternative therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, homeopathy, massage therapy, naturopathy, and others.
A smoking ceremony is an ancient aboriginal custom in Australia that involves burning various native plants to produce smoke, which has cleansing properties and the ability to ward off bad spirits from the people and the land and make pathway for a brighter future.
The aboriginal people of Australia have traditionally used tea tree oil as an antiseptic (germ killer) and an herbal medicine. Today, external use of tea tree oil is promoted for various conditions such as acne, athlete's foot, lice, nail fungus, cuts, mite infection at the base of the eyelids, and insect bites.
"For some Aboriginal people, mistletoe was primarily a source of food because their sticky fruits are sweet. The medical properties of particular species were even used to treat common colds," said Dr Barrett.