Tables 3.
Responses and resilience of indigenous people to the COVID-19.
| Responses and resilience of indigenous people to the COVID-19 | |
|---|---|
| Precautionary measures and community resilience | Drink hot water, lemon tea with ginger, cardamom etc. to vanish Novel corona virus; Take Basil (Tulashi) leaves and honey mixture to remove cold; Use neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves with mild hot water for bath; Wear mask maintaining distance, frequently wash hand with soap to curb the spread of virus; Take water stream as vapor into nose & throat to remove virus; Eat vitamin C related foods to boost immune system; Go to faith healers for getting amulet and traditional medicines; Solidarity and mutual co-operation for community resilience; Exchange of foods and supports to overcome vulnerability; Exchange rice in lieu of vegetables with neighbors to fulfill demand; Try to produce all commodities inside the community except iron, oil, and salt; Try to maintain traditional livelihoods following indigenous knowledge and wisdom; Avoid to depend on market to minimize risks of infection; |
| Announcement of lockdown, quarantine procedure and resilience | From their ancestors, follow lock down process; Self-imposed isolation or quarantine is practiced; Religious leaders imposed spiritual lockdown to specific locality; Mandatory for outsiders to quarantine 14 days to enter community; Make jhum house in forest (far distance from community) for arranging quarantine; Search wild foods such as potatoes, vegetables, forest, creepers as foods in quarantine periods along with other foods; Suspected people are kept isolated and sent sample to test; |
| Formulation of policy, village committee, and volunteer works | Village committee monitor the movement of villagers/people to inside and outside; Fence wall is made surrounding the enter point (gate) to monitor and social gathering is restricted such as marriage ceremony, religious festivals, funeral etc.; Only shop keepers and selected people are allowed to go market and bring goods for all villagers maintaining rules; Raise fund by volunteer to help vulnerable people; Spray different busy points for disinfection; Post in Facebook timeline for volunteer works to encourage young people to join the organization; Form sub-groups to work in own area in community level; |
| Relief/getting loan for resilience | Get relief from government/NGOs that is not sufficient; Lend/borrow money from relatives/friends to overcome vulnerability; Mutual co-operation from the neighbors and relatives; Cut of meals three to two even one in distress/lockdown; Use savings to buy foods and other emergency needs; |
| Strengthening traditional livelihoods centering lands and natural resources | Develop resilience centering natural resources and land by collecting and producing crops/vegetables in CHT; Follow ancestral and traditional food production systems; Avoid monetary and market based live as much as possible; Plant timely demandable plants such as orange, lemon, pine apples, guava etc.; Plant traditional medicinal seedlings in home yards; Small scale entrepreneurships such as grocery shops etc.; |
| Rumor may work as local response and resilience | Though rumor/misinformation brings suffering to the people but ultimately it makes people careful about the COVID-19 that help to curb the spread of the virus in the community; Community leader forced suspected member to remain confined in house to avoid unexpected risks of spreading COVID-19 virus whether that person is infected or not; Though rumors have no scientific value and have no direct relation to protect the infection of COVID-19 but it may positively impact to remove mental disorder and bring some happiness to those people who do somethings for protection following rumors; |
| Traditional faith healer and traditional medicines | Depend on faith healer and traditional medicines; Take amulet to protect AVA PIRA virus (respiratory diseases); Faith healers made medicines with traditional plants collecting from forest such as leaves, roots, bark/cortex etc.; Take amulet/tabij and black magic to protect virus; |
| Ritualistic activities to overcome COVID-19 | Stop evil tasks (sin) to curb infection of COVID-19; Stop exploitation to nature to stop COVID-19; Prayer to God to stop spread of COVID-19; Offer puja and oblations to God and religious leaders; Sacred and humanistic works and ritual bestow mental strength to overcome adversity; Sacrifice animals in the names of Ganga and Bon Badshah to recover from corona virus; |
| Response of indigenous women in COVID-19 | Knit traditional fabrics and sell communal market after relaxation of lockdown; Enjoy more freedom than mainstream women to decision making in pandemic situation; Utilize unused lands for horticulture and plant different seedling to fulfil family needs; |
| Restoration of natural environment in lockdown periods and resilience | Restricted consumption of natural resources helps to restore the beauty of natural environment; Closing market and vehicles in Lock down, restore the beauty of nature due to less destruction; Intimate relation with nature makes indigenous people stronger to develop resilience; Maintain traditional life in remote area to cut off infection |
Sources: field work