This paper exposes some of the indigenous knowledge systems iks that have been practised immemorial by the kalanga people of zaka district in masvingo in order to manage and protect their environment from land degradation. Indigenous knowledge systems, began by noting that vision 2030 had produced very strong commitments to iks and was seen as the long term objective within dst policy frameworks. Bilingual systems should be used so that such heritage could be maintained. They have established distinct systems of knowledge, innovation and practices relating to the uses and management of biological diversity on these lands. This will in turn add value to local experience and indigenous knowledge, build up confidence in local education systems. The academic value of local knowledge has benefited its scholars for centuries, helping them to adapt to and exploit various terrains and. Director, dstnrf centre in indigenous knowledge systems, university of kwazulu. Indigenous technologies, practices, and knowledge systems have been studied extensively by. With this background, this paper seeked to identify the relevance of indigenous knowledge systems and practices in the teaching of science among secondary public science teachers in baguio city where teachers experience multicultural students. Also referred to as local knowledge, indigenous knowledge is a set of perceptions, information and behaviors that guide local community members in terms of how to.
Examples of iks such as ayurveda from india and acupuncture from china are well known. A case of southern africa chapter pdf available july 2007 with 15,562 reads how we measure reads. Indigenous peoples knowledge can provide important. Study institutions are developing concrete studies about the diversity and importance of indigenous knowledge systems iks. There is therefore a need for donors and development agencies to support africas development through its indigenous knowledge systems. The recent international interest in indigenous knowledge ik as an important. This study determined the indigenous knowledge systems and practices iksps used by. The traditional knowledge advantage international fund for. The importance of indigenous knowledge in agricultural. Pdf indigenous knowledge systems and their relevance for. It is based on the experience, often tested over centuries of use, adapted to local culture and local environment, dynamic and changing. This principle reflects the understanding that indigenous peoples hold an extensive wealth of knowledge, even if this knowledge has not always been recognized by postindustrial eurocentric cultures battiste, 2005.
As has been noted above the importance of indigenous knowledge in. Although african indigenous knowledge systems aiks have existed for thousands of years, their concept and practice began to emerge in the science spheres only three decades ago. Indigenous knowledge an overview sciencedirect topics. Indigenous knowledge systems iks comprises knowledge developed within indigenous societies, independent of, and prior to, the advent of the modern scientific knowledge system msks. Local people consider the other peoples problems as their problems and try to solve these problems in a whole frame with using their knowledge. Indigenous knowledge systems explore local knowledge unique to a particular culture or society. Learning recognizes the role of indigenous knowledge. The use of indigenous knowledge in agriculture and its. The integration of african indigenous knowledge systems aiks into the higher educational system could improve its relevance. Context specific knowledge that communities have developed themselves for centuries and allowed them to live in their environment for often long periods of time. Apparently, indigenous knowledge systems iks are now being unjustly negated. Pdf indigenous knowledge as a key to sustainable development. The protection of indigenous knowledge for peoples health rose khatri liverpool john moores university introduction indigenous knowledge ik has recently been regarded as an important commodity in global health development. Problem statement there is a problem with competing paradigms of knowledge with indigenous knowledge being historically subjugated by.
The chapter emphasises the important role of indigenous knowledge ik in formal education systems. The protection of indigenous knowledge for peoples health. The above kiswahili quotation, said to me during fieldwork by a smallscale farmer in coast region in tanzania, translates into english. Indigenous knowledge and developing countries innovation. Increasing awareness of the importance of indigenous knowledge. References to indigenous peoples in the paris agreement. Indigenous knowledge, indigenous epistemologies, alaska native education, native science a few years ago, a group of alaska native elders and educators were assembled to identify ways to more effectively utilize traditional knowledge systems and ways of knowing embedded in native communities as a means of enriching the school. The health sector might also benefit from better understanding and appreciation of indigenous ways of knowing. Overview over the millennia, indigenous peoples have developed a close and unique connection with the lands and environments in which they live. Indigenous knowledge systems and alaska native ways of.
The renewed interest in indigenous knowledge has sparked a reconsideration of the universal value of eurocentric knowledge, which requires a reformulation of the legitimate conditions for indigenous education mcconaghy, 2000. He highlights the importance of the interplay and conversation between local indigenous experts and. Indigenous knowledge systems iks briefing by department of science and technology dst dr yonah seleti, dst chief director. Religious believes as a part of indigenous knowledge. Indigenous knowledge refers to the understandings, skills and philosophies developed by societies with long histories of interaction with their natural. Scientists should respond by following these developments, institutionalizing this participation at all levels of scientific activity, and respecting the value of indigenous knowledge. Doc the role of indigenous knowledge systems iks in. Indigenous knowledge and implications for the sustainable. If formal education does not take appropriate account of. How do indigenous people use the concept of respect to relate to their view of the world. Furthermore, the ncrst established the national council for indigenous knowledge systems nciks in 2014 to facilitate indigenous knowledge systems in all sectors and enhance, recognize, develop, and promote the value and role of indigenous knowledge and technology for development and advise education, practices and intellectual property right. Ntuli is correct when claiming that indigenous knowledge systems are a counterhegemonic discourse in the.
Secondly, it will try to show the importance of indigenous knowledge in sustainable development by providing a number of examples about the advantages and drawbacks of ik in sustainable development. Indigenous knowledge, ecology and traditional medicine the main focus of the first section is to bring to the fore the significance of indigenous knowledge in the broader context of knowledge production in the humanities and social sciences. Indigenous knowledge systems iks refer to the complex set of knowledge, skills and technologies existing and developed around specific conditions of populations and communities indigenous to a. The role of indigenous knowledge in cis knowledge management. Publishing selected cases in print and electronic format. The call for the interfacing of iks with other knowledge systems is based on tenets. Indigenous traditional knowledge is the knowledge that people in a given community have developed over time, and continue to develop. Culture, indigenous knowledge systems and sustainable development. The indigenous knowledge system had been put on the. This paper details the importance of indigenous knowledge systems in developing countries around the world. They are viewed in some quarters as somehow inherently primitive appiah opoku, 2006. As one example, educators are now growing in their understanding that.
An inaugural lecture by anwar osman centre for africa studies 1. Crucial role of indigenous knowledge in formal education. Ik covers diverse areas of importance for society, spanning issues concerned with the quality of life from agriculture and. The recognition of indigenous knowledge systems and local values in itself promotes the local capacity and institution building in ways which resources such as experts, books, computers or scholarships do not. Their knowledge needs to be preserved, made accessible to the wider community and transmitted to future generations. Indigenous knowledge systems and their relevance for sustainable development. It also recognizes that indigenous knowledge contributes to the nonindigenous understandings in the world.
Pdf the importance of indigenous knowledge in curbing the loss. Indigenous knowledge must be harvested for development. Crucial role of indigenous knowledge in formal education systems. Indigenous knowledge and sustainable development mervyn claxton third distingushed lecture, the cropper foundation uwi, st augustine, trinidad and tobago september 1, 2010 page 1 biodiversity, indigenous knowledge, and sustainable development are very closely linked. The use of indigenous knowledge has been seen by many as an alternative way of promoting development in poor rural communities in many parts of the world. Although recommendations by the world health organisation in the health for all declaration 1978 highlighted. Ethics and indigenous knowledge systems 1431 words cram. Indigenous knowledge ik, sustainable development sd indigenous knowledge ik has become an interesting topic. Multiple examples exist in which indigenous knowledge and the use of indigenous ways of knowing within a specific context have produced more extensive understanding than might be obtained through western knowledge and scientific methods. Knowledge itself can be referred to as personal knowledge applied by prior experiences, or classified as shared knowledge when demonstrating qualities worth of admiration or considerable importance, through practical or theoretical circumstances. The characteristics of indigenous knowledge systems. The role of agricultural education in improving the. The indigenous knowledge systems of the peoples of the. Indigenous knowledge systems for appropriate technology.
African indigenous knowledge systems and relevance of higher education in south africa indigenous knowledge systems as a tool for making higher education relevant to the developmental challenges in south africa and african at large muya, 2007. Indigenous peoples have, over the course of generations, developed rich sets of knowledge about the natural world, health, technologies and techniques, rites and. Agricultural and social scientists have been aware of the existence of ik since colonial times, but from the early 1980s understanding of farmers practices as rational and valid has rapidly gained ground. Farmers, communities and households that live in risky environments, have developed. Indigenous knowledge in rice cultivation common salt is dissolved in water and sprayed in rice fields for controlling major weeds to prevent lodging in rice crop at maturity in water logging conditions, the upper portion of the rice plants is cut with the help of sickle. This article explores the question of using western notions of property and ownership to indigenous knowledge systems and how to protect traditional knowledge through intellectual property law. Pdf indigenous knowledge is the unique knowledge confined to a.
Development and the documentation of indigenous knowledge. The chapter values the nature of precolonial african communities in the region, especially their ability to manage and control their own ecosystems. African indigenous knowledge systems and relevance of. Indigenous knowledge is the basis for local level decisionmaking in food security, human and animal health, education, nrm, and other vital economic and social activities. Indigenous knowledge systems are holistic in nature i. Indigenous knowledge is the local knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society. The inherent dynamism of indigenous peoples knowledge systems lies at the heart of their ability to adjust. Indigenous knowledge systems are a body of knowledge, or bodies of knowledge of the indigenous people of particular geographical areas that they have survived on for a very long time. Indigenous knowledge systems and environmental management. Indigenous knowledge systems in the use and management of.