Systemic erasure of Indigenous knowledge: How colonial science co-opts tribal medicine while failing to address cancer disparities

The Konyak tribe’s herbal medicine represents a living tradition of ethnobotanical knowledge accumulated over generations, yet this study frames it as a 'discovery' by Western science rather than a validation of Indigenous epistemologies. The erasure of Konyak healers as co-authors or primary knowledge-holders reflects a colonial epistemological violence. Indigenous scholars like Vandana Shiva have long warned about the commodification of traditional knowledge under the guise of 'innovation.'

The history of 'discovering' Indigenous medicine is fraught with extractive practices, from quinine in South America to turmeric in India, often followed by corporate monopolization. In Northeast India, the colonial state criminalized tribal healing practices under the Criminal Tribes Act, a legacy that persists in the criminalization of traditional medicine today. The 1992 Rio Earth Summit’s recognition of Indigenous knowledge as 'intellectual property' has done little to curb biopiracy.

Globally, Indigenous systems like Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and African ethnomedicine have long integrated plant-based cancer therapies, yet these are often co-opted without reciprocity. The Māori concept of *kaitiakitanga* (guardianship) offers a framework for sustainable harvesting of medicinal plants, contrasting with the extractive logics of pharmaceutical research. In Latin America, the Shipibo-Conibo people use *ayahuasca* in oncology care, blending spiritual and physical healing.

While the study identifies bioactive compounds, it lacks discussion of dosage standardization, potential toxicity, or interactions with chemotherapy—a critical gap in translational research. The scientific method’s reductionism often fails to capture the synergistic effects of whole-plant medicines, which are central to Indigenous pharmacology. Peer-reviewed literature on ethnobotany is dominated by Global North institutions, despite 80% of the world’s biodiversity being in the Global South.

For the Konyak, medicinal plants are often imbued with spiritual significance, used in rituals to 'cleanse' not just the body but the community’s relationship with the land. Artistic traditions like textile weaving or oral epics encode botanical knowledge, yet these are rarely integrated into scientific studies. The Western separation of 'art' and 'science' mirrors the colonial division between 'primitive' and 'modern' knowledge systems.

Future research must prioritize co-designed studies with Indigenous communities, ensuring benefit-sharing and control over data. Scenario modeling should explore how climate-induced migration of medicinal plants could disrupt traditional healing systems. Policymakers must integrate Indigenous knowledge into national cancer control programs, as seen in Cuba’s integration of TCM with oncology care.

The Konyak community, already marginalized by geographic isolation and militarization, faces further erasure as their knowledge is commodified without consent or compensation. Women healers—often the primary knowledge-keepers in tribal societies—are particularly sidelined in academic narratives. The lack of tribal representation in the study’s authorship reflects broader systemic exclusion from scientific discourse.