AMALAN PERUBATAN TRADISIONAL ETNIK BAJAU UBIAN DI KUDAT, SABAH: PENELITIAN TERHADAP KAEDAH PERUBATAN TAWAL

Artikel ini mengupas tentang amalan perubatan tradisional upacara Tawal oleh masyarakat Bajau Ubian di Kudat, Sabah. Amalan perubatan tradisional merupakan salah satu alternatif perubatan bagi mengubati jenis penyakit ringan dan biasa seperti demam, gigitan serangga berbisa, sawan dan lain-lain. Upacara Tawal juga dipercayai dapat mengubati sebarang penyakit yang disebabkan oleh sihir dan gangguan makhluk halus. Upacara ini masih diamalkan oleh sebahagian kecil masyarakat Ubian di Kudat kerana mempercayai akan keberkesanan upacara ini dalam mengubati penyakit. Kaedah kajian ini menggunakan medium kajian perpustakaan dan temu bual langsung kepada pengamal perubatan tawal atau juga dikenali sebagai Tukang Tawal. Kajian ini diharap dapat memberi pendedahan kepada masyarakat dan menjadi satu dokumentasi penting kepada pengekalan warisan budaya masyarakat Bajau Ubian. Kata kunci: Bajau Ubian, Perubatan Tradisional, Penyakit Ringan, Kearifan Tempatan, Adat   ABSTRACT This article unravels about Tawal, the traditional medical practice ceremony practised by the Bajau Ubian community in Kudat, Sabah. Traditional medical practice is one of the medical alternatives used by this community for healing, apart from modern medicine. The Tawal medical practice aims to cure minor illnesses such as fever, poisonous insect bites, convulsions and cure witchcraft or the disorder of ethereal beings. This ceremony is still practiced by some Bajau Ubian communities in Kudat because this practice is still effective and is seen as one of the ancestral practices that need to be passed down from one generation to the next. This research method uses the medium of library research and direct interviews with tawal medicine practitioners or also known as Tukang Tawal. This study is expected to provide exposure to the community and become an important documentation for the preservation of the cultural heritage of Bajau Ubian community. Keywords: Bajau Ubian, Traditional Remedies, Minor Ailments, Local Wisdom, Tradition