INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND COGNITIVE JUSTICE: TOWARDS THE CO-PRODUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE

A discussion lead by Thea de Wet, Gert van der Westhuizen and Carina van Rooyen

11 September 2014

Outline of argument• How do we do justice to the diversity of knowledges, in our

curricula and in how we approach teaching and learning?

• IKS versus Western Science

• Skepticism about value of IKS

• False dichotomy and time for a new framework focussing on how we can explore (and teach) different ways of knowing, and of being.

• Integrating IKS into teaching and learning for a socially just pedagogy, is about the HOW and not the WHAT we teach

Presentations

1. Thea: concepts and definitions

2. Gert: cognitive justice

3. Carina: co-production of knowledge

Terminology• IK – Indigenous Knowledge• IKS – Indigenous Knowledge Systems• TK – Traditional Knowledge• ITK – Indigenous Traditional Knowledge• TEK – Traditional Ecological Knowledge• Endogenous or Classical Knowledge• Local Knowledge• Science (Latin origin, meaning knowledge 16th century) –

Western science or western science or western modern science

Brief definitions• IKS – An integrated system of knowledge, skills and technologies

-- unique and linked to a specific group of people in a geographical area

• IK – Knowledge about the natural and social world in a specific geographical area as a response to local challenges

• TK – Broad term referring to the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities around the world – mostly replaced by IK/IKS in the academy – often used by politicians and religious communities when in need of a “static” concept

• Local Knowledge – all communities have local knowledge – not confined to original inhabitants or rural communities

TEK

http://www.ser.org/iprn/traditional-ecological-knowledge

Indigenous knowledge about the natural and spiritual world and the place of humans in it.

Recently used by researchers in intersection between ethnobiology and human ecology for understanding local ecological processes and

relationships 

Science• Science (Latin origin, meaning knowledge) - evidence

based knowledge system using systematic methodologies to understand the social and natural world

• Also called Western science or western science or Western modern science

• These labels take away from the past and current contributions outside the Eurocentric world

Science is an universal endeavour• What would science be without the number 0? Or the world

without the decimal system?

• Zero as a number came into being between 400 and 300 B.C. in Babylon (even before developing in India) traveling through northern Africa, and then, crossed into Europe via Italy.  

• The second appearance of zero occurred independently in the New World, in Mayan culture, likely in the first few centuries A.D.

• The modern decimal system was compiled in its entirety in India. Although other cultures had introduced some features of the numeric system beforehand, it was completed in India by the 9th century AD.

http://sciencefocus.com/blog/5-indias-contributions-science

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/history-of-zero/

The world of Islam

• When medieval Europe was in the dark ages – incredible scientific advances in the Muslim world – really “modern science”

• Algebra, trigonometry and chemistry plus major advances in medicine, astronomy, engineering and agriculture

• Arabic texts replaced Greek as main intellectual texts, contributing to the scientific revolution of the Renaissance

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/feb/01/islamic-science

Back to IKS• Unique knowledge system of a group of people indigenous

to a particular geographical area

• Odora-Hoppers (2001:4): IKS is knowledge that is characterised by its “embeddedness in the cultural web and history of a people including their civilisation and forms the backbone of the social, economic, scientific and technological identity of such a people”

• Flavier, De Jesus and Navarro (1999:479) IKS is “basically local knowledge that is unique to a given culture. It is the information base for a society which facilitates communication and decision-making”

Who are indigenous?• Indigenous people/s or First nation/s

• Self-identified• Having a distinct culture• Previous territorial occupation• In opposition to another group/s

arriving later in the same area• Feeling unrecognised, neglected or

marginalise (culturally & politically)

Some features of IKS1. Uniquely linked to a geographical area – “born” in the

area

2. Dynamic – past and present knowledge derived from experience and observations - always changing as new ideas & practices added

3. Covers all aspects of life

4. About survival and adaptation to a particular set of social and environmental challenges

5. Cumulative – transmitted from generation to generation

6. Mostly oral repository – increasingly “preserved” in writing

7. Not all IK in one person – age, gender, specialisation (e.g. rainmaker or bonesetter), social position (chief or king), “calling” (e.g. healer)

Different perspectives on IKS• Static versus dynamic

• Local but universal heritage (locally created but universally applicable) versus locally unique with no universal application

• Use and exploitation: “Indigenous knowledge must be harvested for development”

Why the interest in IK?• Politicization of indigenous groups• Indigenous-rights movements

Two positions about IKS

“Practical” – development agenda

A socio-political stance – an emancipatory agenda

Social justice, emancipation and self-determination

Exploited for commercial useUsed in innovationUsed for development

Post-colonial critique• Hegemony of science• Recognition of plurality of knowledge systems• Multi-vocality• Holism and integration – not atomised• etc

IKS research• Tend to focus on specific or discrete aspects of what is

actually an integrated or holistic systems (specialisation tendency)

• Examples are:• Learning systems• Local classification systems• Health systems• Agriculture systems• Botanical systems

IK may save us!

Alternative wisdom on development and conservation issues

http://www.un.org/en/ga/69/meetings/indigenous/#&panel1-7

Indigenous Knowledge System Policy for South Africa

“The Government of the Republic of South Africa registers its commitment to the recognition, promotion, development, protection and affirmation of IKS. This Policy is the product of extensive consultation, scholarly reflection, debate and participation from a range of stakeholders. The participation of practitioners and holders of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) has been of critical importance.”

http://libguides.wits.ac.za/SA_TK_issues

Cross-cutting Legislation, Policies & Research

• DOH: Traditional Health Practitioners Bill• DEA: Biodiversity Bill• DPLG: Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Bill

• DTI: IKS and IPR Policy• DST: Project on ‘Development of a Traditional Medicines Database for South Africa’

• MRC: Mapping of Traditional Healers in South Africa, starting with Kwazulu-Natal

Integration of IKS in education and the national qualifications framework

Cognitive Justice