Introduction to the nature and patterns of iks

1. INTRODUCTION TO THE NATURE AND
PATTERNS OF IKS AND INNOVATION
FEBRUARY 2017
Maditsi Edwin
IKSM 111 LECTURER

2. Why is IK useful
 IK is the basis for self-surficiency and self determination; Reason:-
people are familiar with local practices and technologies; they can
understand, handle, and maintain them better than western
practices and technologies
 IK is based on local resources. People are less dependant on
outside supplies, which can be costly, scarce and available only
irregularly
 IK provides effective alternatives to western know-how. It gives local
people and development workers extra options when designing
projects. They don’t just search among western knowledge, instead
they can choose to combine IK and western technology.
 Indigenous technology and practices are often cheaper than western
as they relly on local things

3. IK is easily overlooked
 It is overlooked because it looks messy and not
obvious to outsiders
 For example; people in some places do not
weed their gardens/plots in order to reduce soil
erosion.
 An outsider might get the wrong idea and
assume nobody is tending the fields

4. IK is an endangered species
 It is transmitted by word of mouth rather than in
written form
 This makes it vulnerable to rapid change
especially when people are displaced or killed in
famine or war, or when the younger generation
acquire values and lifestyles different from their
ancestors
 Some IK is lost naturally as techniques and tools
are modified or fall out of use.
 The rapid growth of population and development
process has endangered the IK system

5. What should be done to preserve IK
 Raise awareness about the value of IK for
development
 Help communities conserve their IK
 Record and use IK in applied development
projects
 Document IK and make the information available
to people working in development
 Make it available to the communities from which
it was obtained
 Observe intellectual property rights when
recording IK

6. Indigenous knowledge versus western scientific
knowledge systems
 IK is often contrasted with western scientific or modern knowledge
i.e. Knowledge developed by universities, research institutions and
private firms using a formal scientific approach
 In reality, there is a lot of overlap between indigenous and western
knowledge.
 Sometimes its very difficult to distinguish the two because IK
changes over time
 It is therefore difficult to decide whether a technology or practice
indeed is indigenous or adopted from outside.

7. Differences and co-existence of IKS and modern
knowledge systems
 IK and modern knowledge are based on different assumptions and
cultural value systems;
 For example, among different local communities, some ethnic
groups have classification systems for trees, animals and insects
that identifies many species that western science does not;
 But also appears to miss obvious species that western science
recognizes. The species that appear to have been missed by African
local communities turn up as recognizable in other contexts of their
lives
 On the other hand, western scientific practice generally excludes the
humanistic and cultural perspective whereas IK’s understanding
assumes a holistic view. This includes language, culture, practice,
spirituality, mythology, customs and even social organization of local
communities.

8. Cont…
 IK and modern scientific knowledge co-exist.
 In the formal world of development in South
Africa and other African countries, a few of its
people, and the majority of institutions and
professionals, incline towards the
modern/western scientific knowledge systems.
 The majority of people however, even if they
have attended school, depend on IK for their
livelihoods to a very large extent including
knowledge related to food and nutrition, shelter
and the use of natural resources