Traditional medicine in New Caledonia covers two distinct areas: that of the family pharmacopoeia, which is based on the therapeutic power of plants and whose knowledge is transmitted from generation to generation and that of spirituality: it is the mystical part of traditional Kanak medicine, the prerogative of clairvoyants and healers. This Kanak medicine is still widely practiced and is an integral part of Kanak social organization. It is not an independent institution, separated from the other components of society, but one of the essential cogs in its operation.