Indigenous knowledge systems crossing epistemological. Indigenous knowledge systems iks comprises knowledge developed within indigenous societies, independent of, and prior to, the advent of the modern scientific knowledge system msks. Whilst unearthing the complexities and challenges associated with iks. Indigenous knowledge systems are described in the south african revised curriculum statements as a body of knowledge embedded in african philosophical thinking and social practices that have evolved over thousands of years. In addition, the indigenous knowledge bill is an enabling instrument for the indigenous communities of south africa to exercise their sovereign and inalienable rights, formal andor informal, over.
African indigenous knowledges are seen as foundation to reshape african curricula and education systems, thereby advancing the cultural and socio. Indigenous knowledge systems and environmental management. Indigenous knowledge is a wisdom that develops within a particular culture and specific geographical area and has been orally transmitted from one generation to another. Indigenous knowledge systems for appropriate technology. Critical reflections on selected local narratives of contextual south african indigenous knowledge. Indigenous knowledge systems can benefit everyone the. Indigenous education during the precolonial period in. The classroom implementation of indigenous knowledge in. The name indilinga stands for the circle orientation of indigenous african communities which is exhibited in their material culture and behaviour. In we present various perspectives on african indigenous knowledge systems aik from a wide range of scholars. They are viewed in some quarters as somehow inherently primitive appiah opoku, 2006. Jan 16, 20 indigenous knowledge systems iks comprise knowledge systems that have developed within various societies independent of, and prior to, the advent of the modern scientific knowledge system.
Affirmation of african cultural values in the face of globalisation. The classroom implementation of indigenous knowledge in the science curriculum by science teachers in the western cape province, south africa. Juxtaposing postcolonial theory by jacob mapara jacob. The threat is created by the fact that old people in south africa do not have enough time to transfer their skills and knowledge of indigenous games to the younger generation. Ik covers diverse areas of importance for society, spanning issues concerned with the quality of life from agriculture and. Theoretical frameworks and indigenous knowledge systems. 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. We publish brief extracts from scholarly works on the subject and also make selected videofilms, on the subject, available. In the 20 years of democracy, south africa has been. Subsequently, the national iks office nikso was established in 2006. Culture, indigenous knowledge systems and sustainable. African indigenous knowledge systems and relevance of. Protecting and preserving indigenous knowledge the mail. The iks policy is an enabling framework to stimulate and strengthen the contribution of indigenous knowledge systems to social and economic development in south africa.
Indigenous knowledge and climate change in africa indigenous knowledge systems and climate change management in africa 5 acronyms acp african, caribbean and pacific bbmfs butha bothe machobane farming system. Culture, indigenous knowledge systems and sustainable development. Protection, promotion, development and management of. Above all, indigenous knowledge systems should be considered, as should traditional scientific notions, in the context of the bigger picture bigger pictures such as those provided by agenda 2063, the 50year african union vision of a prosperous africa driven by science and technology, or the 8 th panafrican congress held earlier this year. Against this background, african indigenous knowledge systems and sustainable development. The african child was brought up by the community and educated in the culture and traditions.
International journal of african renaissance studies multi, inter and transdisciplinarity. May 15, 2017 kgothatso mafiri and peter tshepiso ndhlovu are two of the 12 graduates from the first cohort of students studying for a degree in indigenous knowledge systems iks at north west university nwu. Oct 19, 2001 indigenous knowledge frames can complement some of the mechanical and technical precision capabilities of the western knowledge systems and generate forms of creativity that will benefit and. Pdf on jul 3, 2007, ndangwa noyoo and others published indigenous knowledge systems and their relevance for sustainable development. A crucial factor in the indigenous knowledge systems rests on the reality of existentialism, communalism, holisticism, preparationism, perennialism, and functionalism in african rationality. Department of science and technology tenyear innovation plan 20082018.
Indigenous knowledge should be encouraged south african social attitudes survey indigenous knowledge systems iks have an important contribution to make to socioeconomic growth and sustainable development and should be promoted and encouraged, say aziza moos, jare struwig and ben roberts. African languages, indigenous knowledge systems iks, and. Indigenous knowledge systems and the curriculum springerlink. Implications for tertiary education by jerome alvin hammersmith submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of doctor of education in the subject comparative education at the university of south africa promoter. Apparently, indigenous knowledge systems iks are now being unjustly negated. Applicationsproposals accompanied by curriculum vitae as pdf and. South africas databases were all selected from the southern african bibliographic information network sabinet, i.
The study was concerned with examining if dst policy on indigenous knowledge is aligned with practice on the ground. Indigenous knowledge is the local knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society. African indigenous knowledge and social work practice. Case studies from the magatle and madisha villages, south africa rural development quarterly 2 4, 5457. The focus of this article is on identifying some of the problem areas regarding indigenous games. Implications for higher education, based on the south african experience.
Recognize, affirm, develop, promote and protect indigenous knowledge. South africa s databases were all selected from the southern african bibliographic information network sabinet, i. South africas development of a multifaceted framework for cultural and genetic resource protection in. African indigenous knowledge systems and human rights. Historically, higher education in south africa and africa in general has relied on foreign languages. Coupled with the above notion is the assumption that africa was a tabula rasa before the colonial era that is. Article pdf available in journal of human ecology delhi, india 573 march 2017 with. Indigenous knowledge frames can complement some of the mechanical and technical precision capabilities of the western knowledge systems and generate forms of creativity that will benefit and. South african science teachers strategies for integrating. The indigenous knowledge systems iks policy was adopted by cabinet in november 2004, thus laying in place the first important milestone in our efforts to recognize, affirm, develop, promote and protect indigenous knowledge systems in south africa. The thrust of this paper is to heighten awareness, stimulate new thoughts and generate discussion on the wealth of indigenous knowledge. Indigenous knowledge systems can benefit everyone the mail. The science and indigenous knowledge systems project at the university of the western cape has done pioneering work to produce teaching materials.
Recognition of the critical role of indigenous knowledge systems iks in science in the new south african national curriculum for schools affirms the importance of iks, particularly in the natural, physical and life sciences, as they are included in its policy. Prior to the arrival of european settlers in the cape colony in 1652, formal and informal educational practices through the transmission of indigenous knowledge from adult to child had long been in existence among the khoi, the san and the bantuspeaking people of southern africa. Pdf the importance of innovation in higher education is recognised in south african educational discourse. 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.
South africa is a multicultural society with diverse indigenous cultural communities. It is common for indigenous knowledge ik researchers in south africa to conduct studies within conventional western paradigms, especially in the field of ikscience curriculum integration. An inaugural lecture by anwar osman centre for africa studies 1. Ntuli is correct when claiming that indigenous knowledge systems are a counterhegemonic discourse in the.
This policy aims to affirm, develop, promote and protect iks in south africa. Jul 27, 2017 magoro m, 2004, aspects of indigenous knowledge and protection in the farming systems of smallholders. The higher education system in africa and south africa in particular, is still too academic and distant from the developmental challenges of african local. The journal has been motivated by the need for a dependable expression for critical and analytical writing on issues related to production, dissemination and recognition of indigenous knowledge systems. African indigenous knowledge could develop in tandem with modernisation. Pdf indigenous knowledge systems iks and food security. Pdf indigenous knowledge systems and their relevance for.
Indigenous knowledge systems iks framework document. In we present various perspectives on african indigenous knowledge systemsaik from a wide range of scholars. South africans entered the quest for africas renaissance in 1994. Teacher approaches to introducing indigenous knowledge in. University of cape town,faculty of humanities,school of education, 2015 cited yyyy month dd. It has been argued that as africa enters into a new phase of knowledge development, disciplines like social work are equally asked to rethink their methods and theories to embrace this emerging challenge. 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 iks and food security in south africa.
Toward an effective indigenous knowledge protection regime case study of south africa 1 executive summary south africa has a rich tradition of indigenous knowledge covering uses of the countrys abundant natural resources. African indigenous knowledge and the disciplines pp 1129 cite as. It focussed on understanding the formulation process of indigenous knowledge systems iks policy enacted by the department of. 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. Development of the services provided by traditional healers contribution of indigenous knowledge to the economy. A case of southern africa find, read and cite all the. African researchers need to persist in developing and using alternative methods of studying our reality and refrain from sticking to the research pathways mapped out by western methodologies, within which many have been trained. African indigenous knowledge systems and relevance of higher.
The scientific paradigm usually takes precedence and research publishing follows. Knowledge holderspractitioners organisations in south africa. The role of indigenous knowledge in drought risk reduction. Challenges and prospects provides a sample and report of some of the research at the centre as well as brings together a body of scholarship and appropriate references to seminal sources. Examples of iks such as ayurveda from india and acupuncture from china are well known. Feb 02, 2018 in addition, the indigenous knowledge bill is an enabling instrument for the indigenous communities of south africa to exercise their sovereign and inalienable rights, formal andor informal, over. The protection, promotion, development and management of indigenous knowledge act 6 of 2019 intends. 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. According to iflanet 2004, indigenous traditional knowledge is vulnerable both because it is exploitable and has been exploited financially by global drug industries. Indigenous knowledge systems iks comprise knowledge systems that have developed within various societies independent of, and prior to, the advent of the modern scientific knowledge system. Towards an africa philosophy of education for indigenous. Indilinga african journal of indigenous knowledge systems. I have learnt that iks is everywhere and it is not stagnant, says mafiri, who attended the graduation ceremony on 24 april 2017. Abstract south africas indigenous knowledge systems policy was approved by cabinet in 2004, and the national indigenous knowledge.
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