this is a presentation to the SOTL @ UJ research group. it is an introduction to the seminar on Indigenous Knowledge Systems.

1. 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

2. 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

3. Presentations
1. Thea: concepts and
definitions
2. Gert: cognitive justice
3. Carina: co-production of
knowledge

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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/

9. 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

10. 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”

11. 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)

12. Some features of IKS
1. 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)

13. 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”

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

15. Two positions about IKS
“Practical” –
development
agenda
A socio-political stance –
an emancipatory
agenda
Social justice,
emancipation and self-determination
Exploited for
commercial use
Used in innovation
Used for development

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

17. 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

18. IK may save us!
Alternative wisdom on development and conservation issues
http://www.un.org/en/ga/69/meetings/indigenous/#&panel1-7

19. 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.”

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

21. 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

22. Integration of IKS in education and the
national qualifications framework

23. Cognitive Justice