Abstract

This paper is an initial examination of possible Amerindian contributions to West Indian folk medicine using Montserrat as a case study. Montserratian folk medicine is compared with Dominican Carib, a surrogate for Amerindian data. Despite limitations in the comparison, the data suggest that perhaps 15% of the Montserratian pharmacopoeia may derive from Amerindian sources. It calls for particular searching of Spanish, French, and Dutch historical documents in sorting out cultural information. It suggests "repeat ethnobotanies" be used to document and analyze culture change, especially in an ever increasing age of globalization and commodification of knowledge, as seen in the evolving debates of intellectual property.

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