Abstract
Many healthcare practices in the Kanak environment have been replaced by the use of chemical tablets and consultations with conventional doctors, indicating a change in the Kanak attitude towards health. Nonetheless, the latter is characterised by concepts, practices, and therapeutic knowledge that encompass the individual, their surroundings, and society. A conceptual framework is established by laws and regulations that govern the relationships between humans and non-human entities, including flora, fauna, stones, and spiritual and ancestral powers that form the basis of society. Whilst conventional medicine plays a crucial role in the therapeutic processes of Kanak, I have witnessed sick individuals utilizing the health knowledge and expertise of Kanak healers, often discreetly.Based on an ethnographic study of healthcare patterns of the residents of Mwalebeng chiefdom in Pouébo, my research explores how these patterns reflect the changes that have taken place in the health domain of Kanak society. The first chapter details the daily life of Pouébo inhabitants, which revolves around social and food production activities. I begin by examining a historical period in the establishment of the Catholic Church in Pouébo to provide insight into the changes witnessed in therapeutic practices and healthcare mobility. The following two chapters sequentially address the concepts utilized to translate and define health issues as well as to understand the Kanak therapists and their unique qualities. Chapter four analyses the paths taken by patients. The study of care pathways reveals the challenges that Kanak individuals face when seeking healthcare from Kanak providers, as well as the enduring connection to the fundamental facets of Kanak culture that promote equilibrium and wellbeing. Finally, my ethnography uncovers the present trends regarding the revival of specific forms of knowledge. Moreover, it highlights the challenges surrounding mutual comprehension amid caregivers with distinct techniques or between physicians and patients. Lastly, various breakthroughs are taking shape to encourage communication between Kanak health practitioners and Western or non-Kanak medical professionals. The concluding chapter centres on the current vitality surrounding therapeutic knowledge alongside the health, political and social factors associated with its dissemination. It also addresses the acknowledgement of the validity of Kanak healers and doctors.