COMMUNITY MEDICINE AND REVITALIZING OF BIOCULTURAL MEMORY: THE CASE OF THE MUISCA´S COMMUNITY OF SESQUILÉ, CUNDINAMARCA, COLOMBIA

Abstract

The accelerating loss of biological and cultural diversity calls for the recognition of indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants communities' role in revitalizing and preserving their cultural identities and territories. This case study adopts a biocultural framework to document how the recovery of medicinal plant use is fostering Muisca people in Sesquilé (Colombia) to bring back their biocultural memory and collective heritage. The methodology analyses ethnobotanical information within the context of the daily community life and their interactions with the environment. The research process involved community members in the design, data collection, data analysis, and dissemination of research findings. In applying purposely sampling criteria, the study included six ethnobotanical walks and 19 semi-structured interviews with community members. The qualitative data was grouped into two categories: community medicine, and traditional medicine and associated practices. This study documented 144 species of plants with medicinal use, 63% were native and 37% were non-native, belonging to 62 botanical families. The study documents the Muisca community process of cultural revitalization through the recovery of medicinal plant use. It underlines community medicine as a pivotal practice in biocultural memory recovery, intergenerational knowledge transmission, and the reconnection to ancestral territory.