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Indigenous Knowledge: Are we losing our traditional practices? |
 Indigenous knowledge tends to be viewed by some as being “backward”, compared to the western scientific knowledge. This has led to a loss of the indigenous or traditional practices as people try to embrace “modern western” ways of doing things. Nevertheless, it is important to note that indigenous knowledge is not static, but rather evolves and changes as it develops, influenced by interactions with other knowledge systems.
Colonisation had a major effect on indigenous knowledge, as the indigenous people ended up shunning their “backward, uncivilised” knowledge in favour of western knowledge systems, whether wilfully or not. Another contributing factor to the loss of indigenous knowledge is rural-urban migration of youth, who are expected to learn and implement some of the traditional knowledge.
| What DLIST users say… "The tradition of sitting around the fire and telling stories about our past is gone. If you ask a young Topnaar to tell you about their history, he or she will probably not be able to answer you," admits Rudolph Dausab, Topnaar community leader and environmental activist. |
Moreover, the youth no longer want to stay in communal lands and live by the old “backward” ways; neither are they willing to go to the old people, the holders of the last shreds of indigenous knowledge, to accumulate that knowledge and apply it.
Indigenous knowledge has been gaining legitimacy only when it conforms to the theory and practice of western knowledge. Some environmental scientists regard indigenous knowledge as anecdotal, non-quantitative, out of date, and amethodological, while others argue that it lacks scientific rigour and objectivity.
Indigenous knowledge and modern science
There are some differences between indigenous and western science:
- Indigenous knowledge is mainly transmitted orally, for example through stories, and/or by imitation and demonstration, while western science is mainly written. This means that it is learnt through observation, practical engagement, or hands-on experience gained by trial and error.
- Indigenous knowledge is based on observations and experiences, evaluated in the light of what one has learnt from his or her elders. On the other hand, western science is taught and learnt often, but not always, in an abstract context.
As a matter of fact, indigenous knowledge can be documented to help communities and scientists make greater use of it in research and decision making. It is important, however, that since the information is based on experience and the lessons of others, it needs the component of experience.
If we wish to preserve the expertise that is shown in traditional ecological knowledge, we must work to preserve the way of life from which it has developed. Scientific methods and conventional systems of resource management must learn to fit into the traditional ways of viewing and using the land, for these values form the basis for their future survival.
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