Dinâmica da transmissão cultural do conhecimento ecológico tradicional sobre plantas medicinais em uma comunidade no interior da Amazônia, Pará, Brasil

Abstract

We aim to evaluate the dynamics of cultural transmission process of the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) on medicinal plants among the generations of the Vila Franca community, Pará State, Brazil. Structured and semi-structured interviews were carried out through socioeconomic and ethnobotanical forms and interview script, based on an intentional non-probabilistic sampling. Informants were indicated by the Snowball technique. We identified vertical, horizontal and oblique knowledge transmission modes have equivalent importance in maintaining TEK in the community, and mothers are the main transmitters. We verified socioeconomic factors (age, gender, occupation, schooling, monthly family income, time of living in the community) contributed to composing different patterns of TEK distribution, influencing the intergenerational transmission process. Finally, studying the residents' perception on the TEK transmission process, the situations of illness, family coexistence and needs were the most mentioned in the discourses on determining factors in TEK transmission. The Natural Remedies Project developed in the community was pointed out as the main collaborative factor for TEK maintenance. As determinants in the decrease or loss of TEK transmission, the lack of commitment, disbelief and valorization of allopathic drugs were the most significant in the constructed speeches. Finally, we observed a complex of interactions between the residents and their natural environment affects the TEK transmission on medicinal plants, and strategies to conserve and disseminate this knowledge and its associated natural resources are necessary, highlighting the importance of cultural transmission to maintain the TEK.