Oral evidence of traditional use of Indigenous medicines: Toward recognition

Past efforts to commercialize Indigenous knowledge of traditional medicines have often been marred by biopiracy, that is, the unauthorized use of traditional knowledge. Today, Indigenous peoples are increasingly interested in commercializing traditional knowledge of medicinal plants in ways that are controlled by and provide benefits to themselves and their communities. In Australia, medicines are regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). While the TGA will accept oral evidence of traditional medicine use, no method for presenting this knowledge yet exists. Drawing on our research on the traditional knowledge and use of a medicinal plant in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, we establish an anthropological method for preparing oral evidence of traditional use for regulatory bodies such as the TGA, a crucial step in supporting Indigenous peoples who wish to commercialize their traditional knowledge. We argue that anthropology has an important role to play in presenting traditional knowledges for a regulatory audience.