scholarly journals Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Environmental Governance in Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah McGregor
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Limited Success ◽  
The People ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Effective Inclusion ◽  
Effective Models

This contribution addresses key issues around the application of Indigenous knowledge in contexts where such knowledge is neither generated nor held (academy, industry, governments, etc.). Effective models for the ethical incorporation of Indigenous knowledge into environmental governance in Canada have remained elusive despite decades of attempts. The predominant research paradigm of “incorporating” Indigenous knowledge into environmental governance is one of extraction by the external interests who seek to include specific aspects of such knowledge in their undertakings. This approach continues to fail because Indigenous knowledge exists as an integral component of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). It is often hollow and potentially damaging to consider any knowledge without understanding the societal systems and peoples that produced it. Indigenous knowledge is not just “knowledge” (a noun) but a way of life, something that must be lived (a verb) in order to be understood.  Indigenous knowledge is inseparable from the people who hold and live this knowledge. Although government policy and legislation have evolved in attempts to treat Indigenous knowledge more holistically, the overriding paradigm of extraction remains essentially unchanged.  Even the most recent frameworks will meet with limited success as a result. Appropriate and effective inclusion of Indigenous knowledge requires recognition of the systems that support it, which in turn necessitates support for Indigenous self-determination.   

scholarly journals Akan Indigenous Knowledge Systems and the Christian Faith in Ghana: A Review of the Major Works of Robert Rattray

2021 ◽  
pp. 107-119
Author(s):  
Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Belief Systems ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Christian Faith ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
The People ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge System ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Set Up

The Western missionaries’ attitude towards Asante indigenous belief systems created the impression that Christianity was unable to live side by side with Asante indigenous knowledge systems. The missionaries ended up creating tension between the Christian faith and the pre-missionary cultural values. The indigenous knowledge systems that informed the world views of the people were not considered an integral part of the available resources for the shaping of the Asante Christian worldview. The Salem communities, for example, were set up to facilitate the disconnection of the new converts from their cultural past. This study is about the available pre-missionary Asante indigenous knowledge systems that Robert Sutherland Rattray after thorough studies published and made available to facilitate all aspects of the Asante life especially interpretation and transmission of the Christian faith. With a critical examination of the various major works of Robert Rattray and observation of Asante cultural and Christian activities, the study identified some specific areas that the Asante indigenous knowledge systems have lived side by side with the Christian faith. The study concludes with a call for respect, pride and intentional exploration into the indigenous knowledge systems to serve the Asante and other Akan Christian needs. Keywords: Robert Sutherland Rattray, Indigenous Knowledge System, Christian Faith, Asante, Cultural Values.

scholarly journals Identity Reconstruction of the Great Zimbabwe National Monument: An Indigenous Knowledge Systems Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Temba T. Rugwiji
Keyword(s):  
Identity Formation ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
National Monument ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
The People ◽  
Great Zimbabwe ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The One

Various theories have been advanced on the identity of the people who built the Great Zimbabwe National Monument (GZNM). On the one hand, some ancient Mediterranean communities (Lebanese and Phoenicians) are associated with the construction of GZNM. On the other hand, some archaeological discoveries have claimed that the unique architecture could be assigned to King Solomon and Queen of Sheba, suggesting a religious/biblical basis regarding the construction of the structures. In some instances, those in favour of local indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) argue that the Shona people of the Rozvi dynasty in Zimbabwe were the architects of the magnificent structure. Despite voluminous literature published to date, including more recent contributions, consensus has not been reached on the identity of the people who constructed GZNM. From an IKS perspective, this study attempts to reconstruct an identity formation surrounding GZNM by exploring some similarities in terms of cultural customs between the Ancient Mediterranean World (AMW) and the Shona people of Zimbabwe. The aim of such an investigation is to search for some certainty about the identity of the people who built GZNM. The research findings will complement and contribute to the existing body of knowledge about GZNM.

scholarly journals Cosmovision and African conservation philosophy: indigenous knowledge system perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 25-33
Author(s):  
Sivave Mashingaidze
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Colonial Era ◽  
System Perspective ◽  
Success Stories ◽  
The People ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Colonial Legacies ◽  
High Crime

Cosmovision is the worldview of a society that is deeply imbedded in the way in which that society is organized and evolves over time. It is a society’s attempt to explain and better understand all that surrounds it, including its place within the cosmos, or universe and how it conserves it environment. In Africa, like elsewhere, indigenous knowledge systems (IKSs) were used to administer peace, harmony, and order amongst the people and their physical environment. However, with the advent of colonialism in Africa, IKSs were not only marginalized, but demonized leaving their potentials for establishing and maintaining a moral, virtuous society, unexploited. It is in this light that this article argues for a correction to the vestiges of colonialism. The article adopts examples of IKS success stories in pre-colonial era showing the beauty of the undiluted African indigenous knowledge systems and their potential for establishing a moral, virtuous society. To this end, the article argues that Africa, today, is in the grips of high crime rates, serious moral decadence, and other calamities because of the marginalization, false, and pejorative label attached to the African IKSs. This article criticizes, pulls down, and challenges the inherited colonial legacies, which have morally and socially injured many African societies. Keywords: cosmovision, indigenous, knowledge, conservation, philosophy, taboos. JEL Classification: D83, O13, O15

scholarly journals "Living in two worlds" : optimizing our indigenous knowledge systems to address the modern pandemic, HIV and AIDS

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Theobald Zwelibanzi Nyawose
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
South African ◽  
Sexuality Education ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Hiv And Aids ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
The People ◽  
Aids Pandemic ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems

This thesis focuses on the alarming situation of the rate of HIV infection which is escalating every day in South Africa, and what can be done to address the rate of HIV infection. Much has been tried to curb this escalation, but all efforts have had little effect. This concerns me deeply. So I have looked at the problem from the perspective of education. I have personally experienced how Zulu indigenous knowledge, in the form of traditional modes of Zulu sexuality education, was used in the past to address the problems of sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy before it was sanctioned. I have seen that the rituals performed as part of traditional Zulu sexuality education have been effective. I believe that indigenous knowledge systems in the South African context refer to a body of knowledge embedded in African philosophical thinking and social practices that have evolved over thousands years. Indigenous knowledge systems acknowledge the rich history and heritage of the people as important contributors to nurturing the values and norms in society, and so form the basis of education for the people. I believe that our indigenous knowledge systems according to the dictates of rites and rituals observed by our forefathers can play a major role in the (sexuality) education of our youth, and can optimise our efforts to fight against the HIV and AIDS pandemic. This study focuses on the adolescent stage. Adolescence is a phase of discovery and experimentation in which young people develop new feelings, which (coupled with physical maturing) lead to exploring new behaviors and relationships, including sexual behaviours and sexual relationships. Therefore, I believe that adolescents should be targeted because they are just beginning to face social situations in which their decisions and actions about their sexual behaviours and sexual relationships will determine their future. In addition, adolescents are – or should be – school going, so they can be influenced by what is in their school curriculum. I have made suggestions about how the Life Orientation Grades 10—12 curriculum can be used to include traditional sexuality education for this purpose. In doing so, I do not suggest that all South African school going teenagers should perform the traditional Zulu rituals, but I am suggesting that the revival and adaption of traditional modes of sexuality education in all cultures could be helpful in the fight against the HIV and AIDS pandemic. I use the Zulu traditions because they are the traditions with which I am familiar. I have carried out this study to promote the use of Zulu traditional sexuality education to curb the rate of HIV infection among young Zulu people. I believe that this traditional method, if it is used optimally, can reduce the rate of infection and the speed of mortality, as well as the problem of early pregnancy among our Zulu youth, in South Africa.

Colonizing Innovation:

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhinav CHATURVEDI ◽  
Alf REHN
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Postcolonial Theory ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Frugal Innovation ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Management Literature

Innovation is one of the most popular concepts and desired phenomena of contemporary Western capitalism. As such, there is a perennial drive to capture said phenomena, and particularly to find new ways to incite and drive the same. In this text, we analyze one specific tactic through which this is done, namely by the culturally colonial appropriation of indigenous knowledge systems. By looking to how jugaad, a system   of   frugal   innovation   in   India,   has been   made   into   fodder   for   Western management literature, we argue for the need of a more developed innovation critique, e.g., by looking to postcolonial theory.

Indigenous Environmental Justice, Knowledge, and Law

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah McGregor
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Justice ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Indigenous Worldviews ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
The World ◽  
Innovative Approaches

This article aims to introduce a distinct conception of Indigenous environmental justice (IEJ) based on Indigenous legal orders, knowledge systems, and conceptions of justice. This is not to suggest in any way that the existing environmental justice (EJ) scholarship is flawed; in fact, the scholarship and activism around EJ have been central in diagnosing and drawing attention to injustices that occur on a systematic basis everywhere in the world. This article argues instead that such discussions can be expanded by acknowledging that concepts of environmental justice, including distinct legal orders informed by Indigenous knowledge systems, already existed on Turtle Island for thousands of years prior to the arrival of Europeans. It also suggests that environmental justice framed within Indigenous worldviews, ontologies, and epistemologies may make significant contributions to broader EJ scholarship, particularly in relation to extending justice to other beings and entities in Creation. This approach acknowledges ongoing colonialism and emphasizes the need to decolonize in order to advance innovative approaches to IEJ. 

Rain or Shine Shield: Language and Ropes of Sadok Making

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loyalda T. Bolivar ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Economic Activity ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Cultural Practice ◽  
Cultural Tradition ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
The People ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Materials Used

A sadok or salakot is a farmer’s cherished possession, protecting him from the sun or rain. The Sadok, persisting up to the present, has many uses. The study of Sadok making was pursued to highlight an important product, as a cultural tradition in the community as craft, art, and part of indigenous knowledge in central Antique in the Philippines. Despite that this valuable economic activity needs sustainability, it is given little importance if not neglected, and seems to be a dying economic activity. The qualitative study uses ethnophenomenological approaches to gather data using interviews and participant observation, which aims to describe the importance of Sadok making. It describes how the makers learned the language of Sadok making, especially terms related to materials and processes. The study revealed that the makers of Sadok learned the language from their ancestors. They have lived with them and interacted with them since they were young. Sadok making is a way of life and the people observe their parents work and assist in the work which allows them to learn Sadok making. They were exposed to this process through observations and hands-on activities or ‘on-the-job’ informal training. They were adept with the terms related to the materials and processes involved in the making of Sadok as they heard these terms from them. They learned the terms bamboo, rattan, tabun-ak (leaves used) and nito (those creeping vines) as materials used in Sadok making. The informants revealed that the processes involved in the making of Sadok are long and tedious, starting from the soaking, curing and drying of the bamboo, cleaning and cutting these bamboo into desired pieces, then with the intricacies in arranging the tabun-ak or the leaves, and the weaving part, until the leaves are arranged, up to the last phase of decorating the already made Sadok. In summary, socialization is one important factor in learning the language and a cultural practice such as Sadok making. It is an important aspect of indigenous knowledge that must be communicated to the young for it to become a sustainable economic activity, which could impact on the economy of the locality. Local government units should give attention to this indigenous livelihood. Studies that would help in the enhancement of the products can likewise be given emphasis.

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