Free talk on Penan healing herbs

KUCHING: In celebration of the International Day of Indigenous Peoples, the Friends of Sarawak Museum (FOSM) is inviting the public to a fascinating talk titled “Medicinal Plants of Penan Selungo” on Sunday (Aug 11).

This talk delves into the rich botanical knowledge of the Penan people residing along the Selungo, a tributary of the Baram River.

Author and project coordinator for People’s Association for Development and Education of Penan Sarawak (PADE), Franklin George, will lead the discussion.

“The talk is based on my book, Tumbuhan Ubatan Tradisional Masyarakat Penan Borneo,” he said.

“It explores some of the plants used by the Penan community and details the documentation of 50 medicinal species. This knowledge showcases the Penan’s deep understanding of their environment and their sustainable use of medicinal plants for generations.”

Franklin is a passionate advocate for preserving Penan knowledge and has been involved in various research and development initiatives focused on the Penan community.

He holds a Master of Social Science from UNIMAS’s Institute of Social Informatics and Technological Innovations (ISITI), where his research centred on documenting, digitalising, and safeguarding Oroo’ – the sign language used by nomadic Penan groups.

The event will be held at Telang Usan Hotel at 2.00 pm. Attendance is free.

Those interested in attending can register through this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScL4bRQxvPxQIiwKCGvwsymFcEr2igbeebijvNv1DGgdDIH5g/viewform