1. Ihlathi lesiXhosa -- Fish River Bush to Albany Thicket -- 2. Amayeza esiXhosa -- Xhosa Medicine -- 3. Ubugqi namakhubalo -- Magic and Charms -- 4. Amasiko esiXhosa -Rituals and Rites 5. Ulwaluko -- Rite of Passage -- 6. Imifino neqhilika -- Pot-herbs and Honey Beer -- 7. Ubungcibi kwaXhosa- Ceremonial Crafts -- 8. Iimbhola zesiXhosa -- Xhosa Cosmetics -- 9. Inkcubeko nendalo -- Dance of Diversity -- 10. Imithi yesiXhosa \2014 Medicinal Plants.
Summary:
"... Book which explores the journey of celebrating the link between people and nature, the book reveals how plants, animals and landscapes are profoundly reflected in Xhosa language, stories, poetry, religious rituals, healing practices and everyday customs that define Xhosa culture. Over the years cultural and spiritual meaning of nature in South Africa has been poorly recorded and often misunderstood. The current trade of medicinal plants is often destructive and unsustainable with an estimated 27 million South Africans making use of indigenous medicines. This is a serious detriment as natural resources have been a reliant for underprivileged people who gain food, fuel, medicines, and building materials from wild plants. Therefore the addition of information on edible and medicinal plants is of extreme importance ... Voices from the Forest gives a fresh positive approach to biodiversity conservation in SA by showing that people\2019s values for natural resources can be considered positively as a way forward to continued sustainable use. The book explores the role that nature plays in the cultural and spiritual landscapes of the Xhosa people in the Eastern Cape of South Africa and serves as a pointer to sustainable practices in the future. The underlying aim is ultimately sustaining cultural heritage and conserving biodiversity because in our modernising world cultural diversity is threatened by the loss of natural diversity and finding ways of protecting the region's biodiversity and cultural diversity is of vital importance"--Publisher's website.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.