Traditional Knowledge of Textile Dyeing Plants: A Case Study in the Chin Ethnic Group of Western Myanmar
Tial C. Ling,
Angkhana Inta,
Kate E. Armstrong,
Damon P. Little,
Pimonrat Tiansawat,
Yong-Ping Yang,
Patcharin Phokasem,
Za Khai Tuang,
Chainarong Sinpoo,
Terd Disayathanoowat
Affiliations
Tial C. Ling
Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Angkhana Inta
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Kate E. Armstrong
Institute of Systematic Botany, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York, NY 10458, USA
Damon P. Little
The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
Pimonrat Tiansawat
Forest Restoration Research Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Yong-Ping Yang
Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
Patcharin Phokasem
Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Za Khai Tuang
Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Chainarong Sinpoo
Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Terd Disayathanoowat
Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Traditional knowledge of the plants used for textile dyeing is disappearing due to the utilization of synthetic dyes. Recently, natural products made from plants have gained global interest. Thus, preserving traditional knowledge of textile dyeing plants is crucial. Here, we documented this knowledge by interviewing 2070 informants from 14 communities of the Chin ethnic group of Myanmar. The Chin communities we interviewed used a total of 32 plant species for textile dyeing from 29 genera in 24 families. Chromolaena odorata, Lithocarpus fenestratus, and L. pachyphyllus were the most important dye species. The most common responses described dyes that were red in color, produced from leaves, derived from tree species, collected from the wild, and used as firewood ash as a mordant to fix the dye to the fabrics. According to the IUCN Red List of threatened species, one species was registered as Data Deficient, 20 species still needed to be categorized, and 11 species were categorized as Least Concern. This study will help re-establish the use of natural dyes, encourage the cultural integrity of the indigenous people, and serve as an example for other communities to preserve their traditional knowledge of plant textile dyes.
