Wp/nys/Herbal medicine

Noongar boodja holds significant wiern, social, historical and aesthetic significance for kura, yeye and boorda (past, present and future). Noongar have a strong spiritual and physical connection to the boodja. The spiritual connection to booja guides the way how Noongar understand and use the boodja. It also influences the cultural practices and ceremonies. Noongar have an intimate knowledge of edible, medicinal and herbal plants and when and where they could be found. An important and significant part of the Noongar culture is the teaching and acknowledge of sustainable environmental practices, passed down from Noongar Elders. The traditional medicinal kaartdijin is passed down through the generations.

Herbal medicine

Bonar and harvesting the plants and the herbs

Noongar bonar Table 1

Noongar have always used kaartdijin of bonar in the south-west of Western Australia. According to Bonar Noongar have traditionally gathered plants and herbs.

There are six seasons in Noongar language: Bunuru, Djeran, Makuru, Djilba, Kambarang, Birak. The specific weather patterns determine all the seasons. The seasons indicate which plants resources are for use at specific times. Noongar recognises when it is the season for harvesting the plants and herbal medicine from signs in nature.

Noongar identifies marakeny bonar throughout the calendar year by the many characteristic changes: weather patterns, djert (bird) behaviour, niran (plant) cycles and the djinda (stars). Bonar plays an essential role in the way Noongar care and preserves and protects boodja as it gives a clear pattern of niran (plant) and barna (animal) ecosystems and life cycles.

Bonar has played a vital role in Noongar medicine. Some plants and herbs can be available only after a rainy season or needed kaarl( fire ) for regrowth. Noongar use available remedies that could be used anytime when needed. Their kaartdijin and skills of the plants, environment, seasons and animals around are parts of Noongar everyday life, in the past there were skills needed to survive and be healthy.

Noongar wirnitj, the plants and herbs. Noel Nannup https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-k3WGOar_4

Spiritual view on Noongar culture. Noel Nannup https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkpQ8SV2wpk&feature=youtu.be

Noongar traditional healing practices

Boylyada Maaman- Healer

Boylyada maaman are very influential and powerful in Noongar communities. Boylyada maaman have incredible power to cure diseases and foresee events. They could understand phenomena which may be beyond the understanding of other Noongar. Boylyada maaman is a man of strong spirit who is both a spiritual leader and a healer.

There are also other names used by Noongar: 'Witchdoctor' or 'Clever man'. Noongar have their own words for these men or women, notably bulya and mulgarradock, as well as Noongar doctors. The equivalent of Noongar doctors are recorded in many other areas in Australia.

• Here is a short story about a Witchdoctor:

“There was always an old Witchdoctor in those days. They call them Dembart, which means grandfather. Dembart noonook kaataminy koorl djeenaniny nguny djenark minditc. It means grandfather must come and have a look at him, he is minditj with the debil debil (sic devil). This old Witchdoctor, he comes, and he said djeenaniny, barlung kaya noonook djenark minditch – look, yes he is minditj with the bad spirit” Elder Tom Bennell RIP, 1978 from Len Collard collection.

Noongar healing practices and bush medicine. Video:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HpFRBuqxjU

Herbal plants and trees

Gungurra (Eucalyptus Caesia)

Gungurra flowers

• Other Noongar names: Gungunnu, Gungurru
• Common names: Caeisa, Gungurru and Silver Princess
• Medicinal use: The Noongar use the leaves by crushing them as an antibacterial poultice for healing wounds. Another way to use the leaves was to stream pits, crushed them to relieve symptoms of colds and cases of flu. The gum can be used as an ointment for sores. The gum can be eaten to relieve dysentery.

Noongar use Eucalyptus for bull and bee stings, sores and aches. Usually, leaves are boiled make as a medicinal tonic. Very often made as a herbal medicinal tea.

Balga (Grass Tree)

Balga in Perth Hills

• Other Noongar names: Balga, Baaluk, Balgarr, Ballak, Balligar, Balluk, Baluk, Barar, Barlock, Barro, Beara, Paaluk and Paluk.

• Common name: Grass Tree
• Season: The white – cream flowers are produced from Makuru (June) to Birak (December)
• Balga is endemic to south-western Australia
• Medicinal use: The Balga is an essential plant for Noongar, and many parts of this plant can be used. This pulp is used as a medicine for upset stomachs or eaten as meriny in times of shortage

The gum is normative and has been chewed to relieve diarrhoea and constipation. The pulp from the inside of the tree could help to cure an upset stomach. The smoke from burning the resin was inhaled to relieve sinusitis.

Balga is known as Balak in the Mineng Noongar region. Balga is a Noongar sentence bal and ga are the two words in this sentence. Bal means it, they, them and the others, it's a word used to yarn about a third party. Ga means connected or linked. Balga can be interpreted as it is one that is connected to and is the one that possesses.

Banbar (Teatree)

Banbar flower

• Common names: Teatree, Marsh Honey Myrtle and Banbar.

Banbar is a small tree which can be 5 m high. There are white, cream or pink flowers.

• Medicinal use:

The Noongar usually crush the leaves also inhaled the vapour to treat headaches and colds. Infusions of the leaves can be drunk to relieve colds, congestion and headaches. Noongar use the leaves externally to heal skin problems and wounds, and the bark was soaked and applied to wounds as an anti-inflammatory.

Djerp (Lemon grass)

Djerp

• Common names: Lemon Grass and Scent Grass.

Djerp grows on the boya kaart, almost everywhere in West Australia.

• Medical use: Djerp has been used for bathing the body to treat a general illness and as washes for sores, skin rashes, cramps, earache and sore meeyals. Also, the small amounts have been drunk to relieve sore throat and diarrhoea.

Piara (Slender Banksia)

Piara flower

Piara tree

Herbs and plants use

External use

• Stings and bites has been treated by applying gum leaves that had been heated over a fire.

• Burns has been treated by applying sap from specific plants, animal fat, saliva or mud on the affected parts.

• Toothache has been relieved by using a mouthwash or by chewing the leaves of specific plants. For example, charcoal used to be chewed to clean the teeth. Wounds in the forms of cuts and grazes were treated by crushed leaves, mud, clay or ash. Crushed gum from eucalyptus would also be sprinkled on wounds to stem bleeding, and wounds were disinfected or cauterised with a burning stick. Specific types of soils has been applied directly to open wounds or as poultices to retard infection.

Internal use

• Coughs and colds have been relieved by inhaling the steam from the crushed leaves of specific plants, especially eucalypts. Steam pits and stream beds have been used for the treatment of colds.

• Headaches were cured by inhaling steam from the crushed leaves of some plants, by rubbing the crushed leaves on the head, drinking decoctions of certain plants, sleeping in the smoke from a fire, or externally applying red wilgee mixed with animal fat.