Studies that depicted local communities and their knowledge as primitive, simple and static are now countered by a rapidly expanding database generated by both biological and social scientists that describe the complexity and sophistication of many indigenous natural resource management systems" (Waren1992).
The West regularly thinks that indigenous knowledge has vanished; there is no indigenous knowledge that exists in the form of ‘folk' knowledge. Science and technology already are an indigenous knowledge (Ellen and Harris2000:5). Within the confusion discussed above different people define indigenous knowledge as follows: “Indigenous Knowledge (IK) is the local knowledge- Knowledge that is unique to given culture or society. It contrasts
Greiner (1998) defines indigenous knowledge in a guide for researcher “… the unique, traditional, local knowledge existing within and developed around the specific condition of women and men indigenous to particular geographic area…” (Grenier1998:6). Indigenous knowledge is knowledge practiced by original people living in the certain area for long period of time. Indigenous knowledge is knowledge belongs to people living in specific place which share common cultural and social bonds. It is therefore, can be considered as knowledge which the people sharing the unique social, cultural, political economic activities belongs to the people (Owuor2007:23).
For Semali and Kinchelo( 1991) unlike the Western conception of indigenous
Collectively each tribal group expresses itself and the signs of culture through it. Mainly its art and orality are the mediums to communicate from one generation to another.” (Rajagopalan 2003:313-320).
Like Rajagopalan Dei et al (2000) associated indigenous knowledge with traditional knowledge which is gained by occupying certain places for a long period of time in his word; We conceptualize an "indigenous knowledge' as a body of knowledge associated with the long-term occupancy of certain places. This knowledge refers to traditional norm and social values, as well as mental constructs that guide, organize, and regulate the people's way of living and making sense of their world. It is the sum of experiences and knowledge of a given social group and forms the basis of decision making the face of challenges both familiar and unfamiliar (Dei et al 2000:6)
The following definition is also a definition of indigenous knowledge which combines different
Winona Wheeler’s essay, “Cree Intellectual Traditions in History” analyzes the oral history of First Nations Elders. She specifically questions the identities of the Elders telling their story and how they have attained the stories that they are telling. Wheeler’s thesis is that the Elders are not mere storages of knowledge, they are humans. And as the days go on, few of them remain which makes it even more relevant to take in what they have and pass it on to the newer generations.
By analyzing the Kawaiisu, a Great Basin Native tribe, I want to explore cultural wonders and observe their society as I compare an aspect of interest with that of another culture in the world, the Chuuk. Comparing different societies of the world will allow me to successfully learn about the Kawaiisu people in a more detailed and open minded manner. Populations all around the world throughout time have had different views and traditions of beliefs. Through this project, I hope to unravel and gain an understanding of different perspectives and ways of life.
The indigenous Australian culture is one of the world’s oldest living cultures. Despite the negligence and the misunderstanding from the Europeans, Aboriginals were able to keep their culture alive by passing their knowledge by arts, rituals, performances and stories from one generation to another. Each tribe has its own language and way of using certain tools; however the sharing of knowledge with other tribes helps them survive with a bit easier with the usage of efficient yet primitive tools which helps a culture stay alive. Speaking and teaching the language as well as the protection of sacred sites and objects helps the culture stay...
The terms Aboriginal peoples, American Indian, Indian, Indigenous Peoples, First Nations and Native American are used to describe the original habitants in North America and South America. These people have a proud history and heritage and it seems that most of the professors, collegiate and scientists try their best to use terminology that best represents their heritage, “The National Aboriginal Health Organization Terminology Guidelines
Throughout ancient history, many indigenous tribes and cultures have shown a common trait of being hunter/gatherer societies, relying solely on what nature had to offer. The geographical location influenced all aspects of tribal life including, spirituality, healing philosophy and healing practices. Despite vast differences in the geographical location, reports show various similarities relating to the spirituality, healing philosophy and healing practices of indigenous tribal cultures.
These Indigenous people realized that the only way to heal the poverty, dysfunction, addiction, and violence that has plagued them since the ‘assimilation’ efforts was to turn back to their traditional spiritual practices and teach them to the young people (Robbins). Often, the return to Native traditions has meant taking on environmental concerns, opposing development activities, and becoming politically active to protect the nature that is so closely tied to indigenous spiritual practices. This is what makes indigenous spirituality different and hard to define and protect, it is closely tied to the land and environment, which is very different from religion (Fisher). The United Nations defines the situation perfectly in “The State of the World’s Indigenous People: Chapter 2”: “…spirituality defines the relationships of indigenous peoples with their environment as custodians of the land; it helps construct social relationships, gives meaning, purpose and hope to life.” (Kipuri,
Throughout the past 3 weeks I have been on ethnobotanical journey that has fueled a greater appreciation for land, knowledge, usages of species and the plants themselves. With little insight I was unsure of the importance of ethnobotany, which has now shifted into a spark to continue learning the extensive amount of knowledge surrounding ethnobotanical practices. We, as a common society, have separated from the natural world. We view uncultivated landscapes as waste, focus nature to change instead of us being proactive and modifying it with traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and we do not participate in our ecosystems. It is evident that through conversations, interactions, stewardship and development with traditional ecological knowledge, we will be able to have a collective society practicing as citizens and not consumers.
Colonial educators began many traditions attempting to control Native American education, and these traditions have been passed down and sustained for over five centuries. In chapter two, the authors outline the strengths of Native American education that include “Indigenous theories o...
Nanda, S and Warms, R.L. (2011). Cultural Anthropology, Tenth Edition. Belmont, California: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. ISBN – 13:978-0-495-81083-4.
Indigenous people have identified themselves with country; they believe that they and the land are “one”, and that it is lived in and lived with. Indigenous people personify country as if it were a person, as something that connects itself to the land, people and earth, being able to give and receive life (Bird Rose, D. 1996). Country is sacred and interconnected within the indigenous community,
These ideologies have been passed on for thousands of years, through oral storytelling. As a result Indigenous people have the longest continuing knowledge system of any human group existing on the planet today (Forrest, n.d). Many Indigenous people believe that they are autochthonous, meaning they have always inhabited the land (Harrison & Sellwood, 2016, p 24). Prior to studying this topic, I had some knowledge and experience in this area; however, I have since become aware of my misconceptions about Indigenous culture. For example, I have adopted the Westernised “Dreamtime” terminology.
Coming to live in a new country offers the unique opportunity to look at life from a profoundly different vantage-point. So, during my first two years as a scientist in the United States I’ve often found myself reflecting on how societies differ in fundamental ways in their basic orientation toward life. Many experiences and impressions during this time have dramatically increased my awareness how much all bodies of knowledge — about the ways the world works and the way the world, and we ourselves, are — need to be understood as ‘local knowledge systems’. The concept of local knowledge systems has been developed in post-colonial studies of science, and has been applied in assertions that ‘indigenous’, i.e., non-western, and western ways of knowing are both local in the sense that both are culture-dependent and neither has a claim to universality. (1)
The Study of Ethnomusicology - Thirty-one Issues and Concepts [Book] / auth. Nettl Bruno. - Champaign : University of Illinois Press, 2005.
Indigenous people are those that are native to an area. Throughout the world, there are many groups or tribes of people that have been taken over by the Europeans in their early conquests throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, by immigrating groups of individuals, and by greedy corporate businesses trying to take their land. The people indigenous to Australia, Brazil and South America, and Hawaii are currently fighting for their rights as people: the rights to own land, to be free from prejudice, and to have their lands protected from society.
Indigenous Knowledge (IK) can be broadly defined as the knowledge and skills that an indigenous (local) community accumulates over generations of living in a particular environment. IK is unique to given cultures, localities and societies and is acquired through daily experience. It is embedded in community practices, institutions, relationships and rituals. Because IK is based on, and is deeply embedded in local experience and historic reality, it is therefore unique to that specific culture; it also plays an important role in defining the identity of the community. Similarly, since IK has developed over the centuries of experimentation on how to adapt to local conditions. That is Indigenous ways of knowing informs their ways of being. Accordingly IK is integrated and driven from multiple sources; traditional teachings, empirical observations and revelations handed down generations. Under IK, language, gestures and cultural codes are in harmony. Similarly, language, symbols and family structure are interrelated. For example, First Nation had a