Indigenous Knowledge Systems and globalization

The verbal aspect of culture enriches and sustains what is called Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). Ogunniyi (2008) defines IKS as a system of thought peculiar to people of a local geographic area or socio-cultural environment. Siseho (2013) further defines indigenous knowledge as an intricate knowledge acquired from generation to generation by a society as it interacts with the environment in which it finds itself. It is an area of study that focuses on a way of knowing, seeing, and thinking that is passed down orally from generation to generation. This knowledge is ancient, communal, holistic and spiritual and encompasses every aspect of human existence (Semali, 2009). Indigenous Knowledge reflects thousands of years of experimentation and innovation in topics like agriculture and horticulture, animal

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husbandry, child rearing practices, the education system, human health, traditional medicines and healing, ecological systems, environmental management, among other things (ibid).

Indigenous knowledge is unique to each tradition and closely associated with the given community. Folklore, food, songs, and disease prevention methods all draw on Indigenous Knowledge. Various methods are in place to preserve the indigenous knowledge. Whatever method is used to preserve it exposes it to the risk of misappropriation. However, not preserving it runs the danger of IKS disappearing as its custodians die off.

Indigenous knowledge is embedded in the cultural practices and originates from the community that is indigenous to a region (Moahi, 2007). This knowledge is associated with rural based communities that possess limited or no formal education and still depend on nature for survival (ibid). Kinggundu (2007) in Moahi (2007) distinguishes indigenous knowledge and indigenous knowledge systems — he states that indigenous knowledge is referred to as folklore while indigenous knowledge systems refer to the methods and techniques used by community members to substantiate indigenous knowledge. Moahi (2007) contends that most of indigenous knowledge in developing countries is not written but is transmitted orally from one generation to the other.

To protect indigenous knowledge, Moahi (2007) suggests that African governments should set a national agenda and formulate legislation to protect indigenous knowledge. The government should also consult properly with the local communities owning indigenous knowledge on how this knowledge should be treated. The government could also support resource centres or repositories for collecting and documenting indigenous knowledge by sponsoring and promoting research into this knowledge (Moahi, 2007, p.7). The government can also create databases and websites to establish the prior existence of indigenous knowledge and this should be done on the basis of proper consultation with local communities that own this knowledge.

In contrasting indigenous knowledge with western knowledge, Agrawal (1995) states that scientific knowledge is systematic, objective and analytical and it is also rigorous, while indigenous knowledge is non-systematic and holistic, not analytical and it is not based on deductive logic. He argues that indigenous knowledge is local and belongs to a social group in a particular setting at a particular time, while scientific knowledge is developed to enhance universal validity.

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Sithole, cited in Chiwanza et al (2013), states that indigenous knowledge is stored in people‘s minds and transferred orally from one generation to another, thus making it vulnerable to change. He mentions a number of situations resulting in the erosion of indigenous knowledge. These are rural/urban migration, population displacement as a result of war, epidemics as well as famine. Nyumba in Chiwanza (2013) contends that indigenous knowledge is vulnerable to modern technologies because even rural areas which are power houses of this knowledge are being introduced to modernization products such as radio, television and advertising. These products are said to be pulling away the local content of the rural communities.

The above-mentioned scholar suggests that indigenous knowledge should be preserved and be used as an innovation for sustainable development of the local community. This knowledge can help to increase food production, consolidate agricultural techniques, improve the health sector and promote a sense of cultural pride. Moahi (2007) refers to the forest as a living pharmacy of the indigenous community because of its richness in organic medicines and pest control medicines. He therefore suggests proper documentation of indigenous knowledge, which would promote cultural heritage that is to be passed down from one generation to another.

Scholars like Semali (1999) call upon the coupling of indigenous knowledge with scientific knowledge in a classroom. Curriculum developers should find ways of integrating the local knowledge of the rural community into the curriculum where the schools find themselves (ibid). His study examined the culture of the school and the environment in which the school is situated. He states that otherwise there will be a mismatch between what learners learn in schools and what they actually do in the community to enhance survival. He identifies the benefits of indigenous literacy, such as innovation in traditional fishing techniques, post-harvest control, food preservation and processing as well as medicinal herbs.

Semali (1999) also identifies various obstacles in the indigenization of the curriculum, namely African nation‘s dependencies on foreign aid, reliance on macro planning that ignores micro conditions, lack of African teaching methodologies at formal school levels, lack of donor support to fund indigenous knowledge research initiatives, and the fact that many African intellectuals distance themselves from their own culture, amongst others (ibid).

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