Indigenous Medicine | Spirit Entangled in Nature
My work is rooted in medicine and healing
Starting with the body means starting with a locally situated human universal
We share experiences of suffering and flourishing. I believe we can recognise good, better and poor ways of being human.
We cannot thrive alone because we are entangled in the world where we belong. Healthy communities go hand in hand with healthy envrionments.
Khoisan Medicine in History and Practice (2008)
This is a detailed historical, contemporary account of medicine and healing among the KhoeSan. The book is based on my DPhil (1999-2024). It examines the contingent gaze of ‘Western’ observers through history and provides a new account of Khoisan belief and practice, based on intensive fieldwork and archival research.
Wind, Life, Health (2008)
My earlier work identified a key role for “wind” in the life of KhoeSan, as a way of talking about and thinking about spirit, smell and a world rich in moving potency.
This inspired a British Academy funded conference on wind, run by myself and Prof Elisabeth Hsu of Oxford and the subsequent publication: Wind, Life Health, in which we examine overlapping relationships with wind and spirit in cultures from around the world, ranging from the ancient Greeks and Indians to the Victorians and the Andaman Islanders.
Animals in Bushmen Medicine (2006-2009)
(Principal Investigator, ESRC Research Fellow at Oxford University)
This project identified the role of animals in Bushman medicine from both a practical standpoint, as remedies, and as animals potencies, that bring healing powers and sickness.
The project compared San from across southern Africa, and spanned the earliest San rock art (30,000 years ago) to current salience.
The tables featured below identify the different animal species used in KhoeSan medicine and provide a brief summary of why and how each organism is used.