Incorporation Of Indigenous Knowledge Research Articles

GROUNDWATER CONDITION AND VULNERABILITY IN THE ATHABASCA AND COLD LAKE OIL SANDS REGIONS: GAPS, OPPORTUNTIES AND CHALLENGES

Oil sands development in the Athabasca and Cold Lake oil sands regions of Alberta has raised concerns about potential impacts to groundwater and groundwater dependent ecosystems. This review summarizes the current state of understanding as to how oil sands mining and in situ activities can affect groundwater systems using a stressor-mechanism-response framework. Specific oil sands activities and practices are reviewed, and where possible, described in terms of how they can impact hydraulic head, the hydraulic properties of aquifers, recharge and transport of constituents of concern and linked to observed or potential impacts to groundwater quantity and quality. Groundwater is an important component of the water balance in boreal ecosystems, and specific vulnerabilities related to development are reviewed, including water use, landscape disturbance, groundwater withdrawals, tailings pond seepage, deep well disposal and thermal impacts. Knowledge gaps include lack of baseline data and monitoring of the quantity and quality of groundwater discharge to rivers, lakes and wetlands. One key monitoring challenge is attribution of hydrogeologic responses to specific oil sands stressors given the range of other natural and anthropogenic factors contributing to their variability. Quantitative groundwater exchange mapping, regional-scale isotope mass balance assessment, and broader incorporation of isotopic and geochemical tracers for fingerprinting water sources and incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge appear promising for improved effectiveness of monitoring.

Condescension or collaboration? Local people’s perspectives on the incorporation of indigenous knowledge in tourism development, Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe

The incorporation of indigenous knowledge in development projects has been promoted worldwide as a way of preserving the knowledge of indigenous people. Yet, there is a dearth of research on the perspectives of indigenous people on the incorporation of indigenous knowledge in tourism development. This study examines the potential of tourism incorporating indigenous knowledge systems in the rural communities of Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe. In-depth interviews were conducted with 43 local people in the four districts of the case study area as well as 22 key informants from different government departments involved with community-based tourism development in the country to enrich the data. Other qualitative research methods, including observations and informal conversations, were also used to collect data. Data was analysed through a six-phase thematic analysis. Based on the results of this study, it is concluded that tourism development does incorporate indigenous knowledge systems in rural communities of Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe. The results indicate that traditional leaders are recognised while local traditions and protocols are followed, and sacred sites are respected. Recommendations are given and areas for future research are suggested.

The socioeconomic impact of health problems of working equids in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review on the female-gender perspectives

Abstract Working equids provide a crucial contribution to reduce the work burden on women and they protect the livelihoods and food security of female-headed households in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Nevertheless, they remain a neglected category within animal health policies and interventions, including those aimed at supporting women, that focus mostly on food production animals. This scoping review aims to assess the existing knowledge on the socioeconomic impact of health problems of working equids in LMICs under a female-gender perspective and to identify research gaps on the subject. The review intends to provide orientation for future research that is required to sensitise policymakers within governments and international organisations in LMICs on the importance of developing programmes for protecting working equids’ health and to incorporate such programmes within interventions supporting women’s empowerment. Six relevant publications were identified through the search of five databases (CAB Abstracts, Web of Science Core Collection, BIOSIS, EMBASE and Scopus), backward citation searching and screening of indexes of proceedings and special issues retrieved from the database search. No limits were applied to the search strategy. Publications set in LMICs were considered eligible for the review if they included considerations regarding the female-gender perspective on the socioeconomic impact of infectious and non-infectious diseases of working equids or if female participants were included within the study population. The review findings show that this subject is dramatically under-researched and only one article broadly studied the socioeconomic effects of health problems of working equids on women, while most of the publications included an exiguous number of female participants and made limited considerations on the matter. Considering the complexity of the subject, future research would benefit from the application of the One Health approach that represents an opportunity to clarify the link between equid health, women’s wellbeing and livelihoods, facilitating the translation of research into policy. Further research should focus on the socioeconomic impact of diseases with high morbidity and mortality, especially zoonoses. A participatory approach is recommended to ensure that the community viewpoint is acquired in detail, including indigenous women’s perspectives. The presence of female researchers can ensure that women’s voices are captured thoroughly. One Health impact statement By highlighting the implications of working equid diseases on women’s health and wellbeing, animal welfare and environmental health, this study demonstrates that future research on the subject would benefit from the application of a One Health approach. The engagement of a transdisciplinary team of veterinarians, epidemiologists, social scientists and public health specialists besides the incorporation of indigenous knowledge could effectively capture the multiplicity of consequences of the impaired health of working equids on women. This may facilitate the translation of research into policy, resulting potentially in the inclusion of women among beneficiaries of programmes targeting working equids, in an improved consideration of working equids within animal health interventions and within broader programmes targeting women, with long-term benefits on women’s health and wellbeing and animal welfare. Lastly, integrating females’ and indigenous people’s viewpoints in One Health research could enhance the identification of sustainable solutions to tackle the burden of working equid diseases.

Women and digital political communication in non-Western societies

ABSTRACT This special issue brings together contributions and theoretical insights that probe ways through which gender interacts with context to shape non-Western-based political communication trends. It seeks to address the need to diversify theory and research in political communication. Our key contribution is to provide empirically-guided, contextually-shaped and methodologically-rich research on digital political communication strategies that facilitate women's political participation in geographical areas underrepresented in the scholarship. We do this in five ways. First, feminist approaches to digital political communication have rarely been studied this way, focusing exclusively on previously unaddressed developments in non-Western settings while also theorizing their contributions to communication scholarship through a special issue format in a credible journal that retains a wider audience. Second, it is of scholarly interest to know whether women politicians in richer and poor countries grapple with the same issues when it comes to political communication. Third, we provide novel ways to expand scholarship on women's digital political participation through incorporation of indigenous knowledge and practices. Fourth, the diversity of fresh voices coupled with pioneering findings assembled in this special issue is encouraging in a field dominated by a few. Finally, the number of women vying for political office in the Global South is increasing. Therefore, studying how they are faring on the political frontline has a significant bearing on how current and future studies within the remit of understudied non-Western digital political communication can and should be framed, paving way for new and better understandings on the region and its multifaceted political perturbations.

Community‐driven science and science education: Living in and navigating the edges of equity, justice, and science learning

Community‐driven science and science education: Living in and navigating the edges of equity, justice, and science learning

Tech for Collaboration

The utilization of Indigenous Knowledge in natural resource management frameworks, including environmental assessments, is increasingly being recognized as an important asset by the environmental community. This is because Indigenous Knowledge, which has been developed over generations by Indigenous communities, can lead to the development of more effective and equitable resource management practices that are aligned with local needs, cultural values, and ecological knowledge. At the same time, Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) are also emerging as a valuable tool for storing and mobilizing information towards natural resource management. Considering shifts in the environmental community around natural resource management and the use of IK, and the potential of PGIS, the incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge into PGIS raises important ethical questions regarding knowledge ownership and sharing, and there are challenges and limitations to implementing Indigenous Knowledge-based PGIS platforms. This research paper seeks to explore the application of Indigenous Knowledge in natural resource management through a scoping review or relevant literature, including case studies of PGIS platforms used by Indigenous communities, both in Canada and abroad. The paper addresses the following key questions: How can Indigenous Knowledge be applied towards natural resource management frameworks and environmental assessments? How can Indigenous knowledge be stored and mobilised within PGIS platforms for future generations? What are the challenges and limitations surrounding the implementation of Indigenous Knowledge within PGIS platforms in natural resource management? What are the ethics surrounding Indigenous Knowledge-based PGIS platforms? The paper reveals that integrating Indigenous Knowledge into natural resource management frameworks can lead to sustainable management practices. The paper also demonstrates that PGIS platforms have the potential to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration among communities, but their implementation requires careful considerations of the challenges and limitations associated within Indigenous Knowledge-based systems. Balancing the need to share knowledge across communities with protecting intellectual property rights and the cultural significance of Indigenous Knowledge is crucial. The implementation of PGIS platforms also requires significant technological infrastructure and skills, requiring significant human resources, which can be challenging for Indigenous communities with limited resources.

Incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge in the Mathematical Geometry Discipline at a TVET College

Mathematical geometrical (MG) concept is often perceived as abstract and difficult to understand by students at the TVET College. Students are unable to perform well in Mathematic Assessments Tasks specifically on this concept. Drawing from this is the declining percentages of student enrolments in mathematics at National Qualification Framework (NQF) level 2. The aim of this study was to enhance the teaching and learning of Mathematical Geometry through the integration of indigenous knowledge in the form of a pilot-practical assessment task (PAT). The research team made use of focus group discussions to gather empirical data. Students were given the practical assessment task that incorporated indigenous knowledge to close the gap of students being unable to relate the mathematical geometry taught in the classroom to their everyday lives that seemed to prevail amongst mathematics students at a TVET College. Ten co-researchers were homogeneously selected based on their level of experience in teaching mathematical geometry at a TVET college located in the Afromontane communities of Thabo Mofutsanyane municipality, South Africa. The result indicated that indigenous knowledge can be utilized as an effective way of learning and teaching mathematical geometry at the TVET college.

Indigenous Participation and the Incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge and Perspectives in Global Environmental Governance Forums: a Systematic Review

Global environmental governance (GEG) forums, such as those convened through the United Nations, result in the development of monumental guiding frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Conference of Parties (COPs) Aichi and post-2020 targets. The ratification of policy frameworks by member and/or signatory states can result in major shifts in environmental policy and decision-making and has major implications for Indigenous communities. In this article, we present systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature on Indigenous participation in GEG forums, and focus on the specific questions: (1) what GEG forums include Indigenous participation and (2) how do Indigenous peoples participate in GEG forums, including how their perspectives and knowledges are framed and/or included/excluded within governance discussions, decisions, and negotiations. We provide a bibliometric analysis of the articles and derive seven inductively determined themes from our review: (1) Critical governance forums and decisions; (2) inclusion and exclusion of Indigenous voices and knowledge in GEG forums; (3) capacity barriers; (4) knowledge hierarchies: inclusion, integration, and bridging; (5) representation and grouping of Indigenous peoples in GEG; (6) need for networks among and between Indigenous peoples and other governance actors; and (7) Indigenous peoples influence on GEG decisions and processes. Our findings can be used to improve GEG forums by contributing to the development strategies that address the barriers and inequities to meaningful and beneficial Indigenous participation and can contribute to future research that is focused on understanding the experiences of Indigenous peoples within GEG forums.

Literacy and Identity Development of Indigenous Rukai Children

This study examines the development of literacy and identity for young Indigenous Taiwanese children using ethnographic methods and the theories of multiple literacies, Indigenous knowledge, and identity construction, and it provides insights into the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge and literacies to create hybrid literacy spaces. Focused-upon participants included four 6-year-old Rukai-tribe children—two who lived in a city and two who lived in a village—and their families and teachers. We found that all children learned literacies in culturally meaningful contexts that involved stories and hybrid literacy practices, Indigenous foods, religious activities, traditional life skills, Indigenous language, and multiple forms of text. The two city children developed Rukai knowledge and literacies through performance-based contexts, whereas the village children learned through authentic contexts (e.g., observing farming and hunting). The literacy and identity of the two city children may be undermined due to limited access to Rukai resources, stemming from racism, classism, and linguicism.

¿Del monólogo al diálogo de saberes? Una reflexión epistemológica y pedagógica sobre la incorporación de los saberes tradicionales indígenas en la educación intercultural básica en México

Con el presente artículo propongo un análisis del concepto de diálogo de saberes en la educación intercultural. Para ello, la reflexión gira en torno a tres puntos: la dificultad teórica de hacer conciliar inclusión y diálogo; el cuestionamiento de la pertinencia de los métodos e instrumentos de la epistemología occidental para sistematizar los saberes indígenas; la crítica a la propuesta de incorporación de los saberes indígenas reflejada en los Marcos Curriculares de Educación Indígena y de la Población Migrante. Se sostiene que el sistema educativo mexicano, al encontrarse aún inmerso en una ideología sustancialmente inclusivista y homogeneizadora, está muy lejos de pasar del monólogo cultural, pedagógico y epistemológico al diálogo. Se concluye que el desafío consiste en hacer efectivo el ideal de una educación intercultural para todos y en fomentar la reflexión epistemológica para la comprensión de los saberes indígenas, con el fin de evitar aplicar procesos de sistematización erróneos para su incorporación en la escuela.

Contextualising science and mathematics teacher professional development in rural areas


 
 
 Science and mathematics teacher professional development in South Africa does not adequately address teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge or ability to integrate indigenous knowledge into the curriculum. This situation is partly due to traditional teacher professional development programmes that utilise top-down and expert-driven approaches without consulting teachers. This “one- size-fits-all” model is rarely relevant to teachers’ classroom realities, especially in rural areas. The research question that guided this research was: How could the professional development intervention be contextualised to better meet the educational needs of a rural environment? In this paper, we explore the design principles for teacher professional development interventions that could addressthe needs of teachers and the context, acknowledging that teachers in rural areas face different challenges compared to teachers in urban areas. We use the Hantam region of the Northern Cape Province as a case study to explore the affordances of partnerships with local indigenous knowledge holders and cultural institutions (museums) in the professional development of teachers. Data were generated from semi-structured interviews with Hantam school and community participants using a qualitative approach. Two major themes that emerged from this qualitative research was that (a) the involvement of indigenous knowledge holders and museums as “third partners” in the value chain between universities and schools, could greatly assist to better contextualise the “western” science curriculum, and (b) the incorporation of indigenous knowledge in the STEM curriculum could assist in building the self-esteem of learners. We argue that contextualising science and mathematics teacher professional development for the rural environment has affordances for improving not only teacher competencies, but also learners’ views on the relevance of science and mathematics in everyday life.
 
 

I-DIGEST framework: towards authentic learning for indigenous learners

There is a distinct lack of authentic and relevant learning opportunities for Indigenous learners in formalized educational settings. This is due to multiple factors including the lack of incorporation of Indigenous knowledge into educational curriculum. A significant portion of Indigenous knowledge is in relation to the land and is experientially grounded. Therefore, any knowledge system used by Indigenous learners must take into account that learning is contextual to a place and should include a significant experiential learning component within the curriculum. Digital storytelling has emerged as a methodology for incorporating Indigenous knowledge into learning and with the literature identifying the lack of a formal curriculum design process, a framework is presented for incorporating digital storytelling into learning curriculum, allowing for authentic and relevant learning opportunities for Indigenous learners. To test the efficacy of our framework approach, prototype tools have been created to generate learning objects to be used in a case study course. Experts in the field of education and Indigenous knowledge were then asked to provide feedback on the efficacy of the framework. Strengths identified include the inclusion of knowledge holders and community members in the design process as well as providing a visual and oral alternative to the standard written method of expression. Weaknesses identified include possible lack of knowledge and support from educators as well as a lack of protocol to determining valid, relevant knowledge. Additional benefits identified include using this approach beyond the physical boundaries of a community, to allow, for remote community members to contribute to the knowledgebase.

English

The study assessed the level of indigenous environmental consciousness and education in Nigerian cities using Ogbomoso as a case study. It identified the level and limitations to the consciousness of environmental issues; it also evaluated the presence and level of indigenous environmental consciousness; examined the forms of indigenous environmental education prevailing in the city, how it is acquired, and their relevance to environmental management. It also assessed the effectiveness of this indigenous environmental consciousness and relayed the outcome of the survey for further work, by the incorporation of indigenous knowledge into the educational curriculum. The study elicits various indigenous educations relating to the environment, the level of awareness as regard such and the effectiveness. Data for this research were obtained mainly from a comprehensive questionnaire survey, which were administered to 3,000 (10%) households from the total of 30,020 households in the study area. The data collected were analysed using simple statistical techniques such as frequency table and percentages. Simple linear regression was used to explain the relationship between education, level of environmental consciousness of the people, income level and level of consciousness to environment. The study observed that the level of education is negatively related to the level of environmental consciousness and the level of income is directly related to environmental consciousness. The study shows that traditional and indigenous education are the avenue through which indigenous knowledge is passed to people through gradual socialization of youths in a society into its norms, religious beliefs and moral values. Key words: Indigenous knowledge system, environmental consciousness, education.

Incorporating indigenous knowledge into extractive economies: The science of colonial silver

Historians of mining in colonial Latin America are faced with a deep and persistent methodological tension in our field. From census records, surveys, and tribute tallies, we know that indigenous men and women represented the majority of miners and refiners in the silver centers of Potosí and Zacatecas, but because they left little written evidence of their work, their intellectual and technical contributions remain underappreciated in the historiography. By tracing terms that European translators of Álvaro Alonso Barba’s _Arte de los metales_ (Madrid, 1640) understand (which tend to reflect familiar concepts in natural philosophy) and misunderstand (which tend to reflect Hispanized forms of Quechua and Aymara), we can use the language of colonial mining and metallurgy to identify where and how indigenous ways of knowing provided key technical vocabularies in the science of American silver. Recovering some of the Andean intellectual and etymological roots of colonial amalgamation technologies also provides a new way of thinking about the incorporation of indigenous knowledge into extractive industries that figured prominently in the early modern making of the black legend.

Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into the Bachelor of Education (Pre-service) Primary

his project was initiated to support the School of Education’s (SoE’s) impetus to embed Indigenous Knowledge (IK) into its Bachelor of Education (Primary) Degree. This move to increase the level of IK in Higher Education curricula is a response to a national push initially stimulated by the Council of Australian Government (COAG). The embedding of IK into the SoE units has been somewhat sporadic and intermittent. The incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge into the BEPD program (and others across the university) will thus be an on-going process that requires further work and resourcing. It is therefore important that impetus is not lost and that a range of measures are put in place to ensure continuity of progress. The project was carried out through a series of interviews with School of Education staff; workshops seeking wider Indigenous input; a desk top review of School of Education course units; liaison with CDU Library.

An Evaluation of Constraints in Climate Change Indigenous Coping and Adaptation Strategies for Sustainable Agro-Pastoral Based Livelihoods in Baringo County, Kenya

The frequency and intensity of climate change events have overwhelmed the coping and adaptation capacity of communities resident in the arid and semi-lands of Kenya. This is evidenced by the continued over reliance on external food aid. The objective of this study was to assess constraints in climate change indigenous coping and adaptation strategies for sustainable agro-pastoral based livelihoods in Baringo County, Kenya. The study postulated that incorporation of indigenous knowledge can add value to the development of sustainable climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. A social survey research design was adopt for this study. The target population was all the households in the study area. A completely randomized cluster sampling approach was used for data collection. Data collection instruments included questionnaires; focus group discussions; key informant interviews; personal observation and secondary data review. The data collected was analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics; Pearson's Chi-square; and Correlation analysis. We therefore conclude that neither the indigenous knowledge nor the exogenous knowledge is yet fully utilized in the development process as each has inherent constraints that limit their adoption; and that conventional approaches have been perceived as more advanced and therefore have overlooked the potential in local experiences and practices. We recommend that indigenous knowledge needs to be captured, documented, preserved and transferred as well. To upscale any adaptation initiatives, there is need to improve indigenous knowledge information exchange between local communities; Community based Organizations; Non- Governmental Organizations; planners and academia. The use of the Integrated Knowledge Intervention Model (IKIM) conceptualized by the author is also recommended.

Incorporating indigenous knowledge materials. Efforts at Elhafeed Library, Ahfad University, Sudan

This article describes work being done at Ahfad University for Women in Omdurman, Sudan, to document and catalog indigenous knowledge (IK) materials. The recognition and appreciation of IK taps into the intellectual resources associated with it. Librarians, as major workers in the knowledge society, have to recognize their roles in the incorporation of IK into the “scientific knowledge system” with which they are familiar.

Incorporating indigenous knowledge materials. Efforts at Elhafeed Library, Ahfad University, Sudan: A preliminary study

This article describes work being done at Ahfad University for Women in Omdurman, Sudan, to document and catalog indigenous knowledge (IK) materials. The recognition and appreciation of IK taps into the intellectual resources associated with it. Librarians, as major workers in the knowledge society, have to recognize their roles in the incorporation of IK into the “scientific knowledge system” with which they are familiar.

Range Resource Assessment and Monitoring Techniques among the Pastoral Bahima in Uganda

Introduction Few comprehensive studies have documented indigenous knowledge in rangeland management in Uganda. Existing studies mainly present work done in the rangelands in terms of range productivity in respect to animal productivity. In this study I shall attempt to document the indigenous range resource assessment and monitoring techniques selected in only one agro-pastoral community in Uganda. Most range assessment, monitoring and condition classification have an ecological basis and are associated with different stages of secondary succession (Dyksterhius 1949; Parker 1954; Wagner 1989). The inferred condition is based on the relationship of the present vegetation composition of the sites. Site stability, grazing value, vegetation cover, forage and carrying capacity are assumed to increase as vegetation composition nears climax state. Range classification and monitoring can also ben done through use of diagnostic surveys and GIS methods which characterize the physical and socioeconomic environment such as drainage pattern, slope, soil quality and distribution, farming systems, land tenure and social and cultural characteristics of human communities. Within East Africa, range condition classification has placed emphasis on periodic re-measurements of range condition on permanent sample transects/plots (Casebeer 1970: Skovlin 1971; Bille and Heemstra 1978; Kuchar et al. 1981; Herlocker 1994). After almost a century of development activities in the rangelands of Uganda, there are no ready solutions to the pressing economic stagnation and environmental degradation in the country's drylands. To varying degrees, pastoralists and agropastoralists who live in these areas have been caught in a protracted crisis as a result of increasing scarcity of natural resources and inappropriate available technologies. This generalised crisis in pastoral development led to the proposition of a closer linkage between indigenous pastoral systems and knowledge, and modern scientific technologies to produce what Roling (1993) termed 'coupled systems' comprising hard ecosystem (i.e., range science) and a soft platform for making decisions about that ecosystem (i.e., a pastoral organisation). As Warren (1986) observed, indigenous knowledge is not necessarily simple. It does not exist in a cultural, economic or political vacuum but always confronts other knowledge systems. It is within the context of contestation that, through a process of dialogue and exchange, innovation and knowledge creation will always operate (Scoones and Thompson 1993). Much indigenous knowledge is based on accurate, detailed and thoughtful observations, collected and passed over many generations. It allows informed decisions to be made by combining information and techniques to maximise production and minimise risks (Brokensha and Riley 1980). According to Scoones and Thompson (1993): Rural peoples' knowledge and agricultural science are both general and specific, theoretical and practical, value laden and context bound and influenced by relations of power ... science and traditional knowledge are thus not different, elements of each may be incommensurable, but commonalities in process and outputs clearly exist ... in other words some elements of farmers' science show strong parallels with conventional, positivist, empirical based scientific approaches. A well established, durable process of experimentation exists that offers the potential for articulation with modern science. A lot can be learned from the local people. Perhaps the incorporation of indigenous knowledge into developing adaptable technologies can be an effective means to increase extension agents' and development workers' sensitivity to local needs and stimulate meaningful dialogue between all participants in the developing process (Tadingar 1994). A combination of formal science and traditional knowledge or technology sharing between the two may therefore prove to be an effective development approach. …

Incorporation of indigenous knowledge and perspectives in agroforestry development

An explicit representation of farmers' knowledge about on-farm tree fodder resources was developed using knowledge-based systems software and methodology at a front-line agricultural research centre in the eastern mid-hills of Nepal. Sophisticated knowledge of tree-crop interactions and the feeding value of various tree fodders was revealed. Farmers' ecological knowledge was more developed in some areas than others and was largely complementary to that of agricultural researchers in Nepal and the scientific literature more generally. Evaluation of the combined knowledge of farmers and researchers related to interdisciplinary land use problems by the creation of explicit, encyclopaedic knowledge bases, offers the possibility of targeting research more precisely to gaps in knowledge constraining the productivity and sustainability of the farming system. While similar insight into the depth of farmers knowledge may have been gained by researchers adopting a less formal approach to knowledge acquisition, without an explicit, durable and manipulable record, subsequent analyses and continued use of the knowledge in the research and development process might not be achieved.