Species Diversity of Dyeing plants and Knowledge of Natural Dyeing by Tai Khmer Ethnic group in Suwannaphume District, Roi Et Province

Abstract

Dyeing fabrics with natural colors are traditional knowledge passed down from the ancestors to the present. This knowledge will be disappearing because of the transformation of rural society into urban society. To preserve this knowledge and preventing a restoration. This research aims to study the traditional knowledge of using plants to the natural dyeing of the Tai Khmer ethnic group. The study was conducted in Ban Ta Yuak, Suvarnabhumi District, Roi Et Province. The data was collected by propulsive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used for interviewed 20 key informants between September 2020 and October 2021. The results found a total of 40 species of dyeing plants belonging to 37 genera and 24 families. Fabaceae was the most plant used 10 spp. (25%). While the most used plants were leaves 18 spp. (45%). The plant with the most Use Value index is Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) (UV=0.85), followed by Garcinia dulcis (Roxb.) Kurz (UV=0.75). The gum from insect (Tachardia lacca kerr.) had the most reported (UV=1). The four types of mordant were recorded including; mud, ashes, alum and, Tamarin juice. This knowledge has been derived from their ancestor, shared and trained by government agencies. Encouraging the villagers to dye fabrics with natural colors from plants has helped the community generate more income and created exchanges of learning. Transferring knowledge of dyeing fabrics with each community or to the other would be leading to the conservation of plants and traditional knowledge of natural dyeing of Tai Khmer ethnic groups in the future.