Indigenous Knowledge Perspective Research Articles

Indigenous Knowledge on the Management of Ungomwa among the Ndau of South-Eastern Zimbabwe

The article explores the indigenous Ndau people’s conceptualisation of ungomwa (infertility) and its management. More specifically, I investigated the Ndau beliefs and practices around ungomwa. I conducted a literature review, informal conversations and made observations for data collection. I delimited the study to causes of infertility among Ndau males, its detection, effects, and how it is managed within Ndau cosmology. The findings showed that, although beliefs on ungomwa were varied, it is an undesirable condition. It results in childlessness, which presents serious problems; victims suffer personal grief and frustration, social stigma, and ostracism. Using an indigenous knowledge perspective in a patriarchal Ndau community, I argue that men want to maintain their ego and masculine grandstanding in the community and usually blame women for the infertility. More important to note is that there are indigenous knowledge systems that can be employed to (mis)manage infertility if detected early at youth. If detected when a man is already in marriage, measures are put in place to ensure children are born in the family. I argue that ungomwa is a gendered, cultural, and psycho-social sexual reproductive health challenge that can be innovatively managed for human flourishing.

Adaptation and Resilience of Rural Students in South African Universities: An Indigenous Knowledge Perspective

Adaptation and Resilience of Rural Students in South African Universities: An Indigenous Knowledge Perspective

The “Turning Point” for the Fall Goose Hunt in Eeyou Istchee: A Social-Ecological Regime Shift from an Indigenous Knowledge Perspective

We present a perspective on how the Eeyou (James Bay Cree) from Eeyou Istchee (Eastern James Bay, Québec) understand the transformation of their traditional fall goose hunt system as a consequence of social and environmental changes across marine and terrestrial ecosystems with drivers operating at the local, regional and continental scales. Eeyou land users from the Chisasibi and Wemindji First Nations report that their traditional fall goose hunt underwent a “turning point” during the early 2000s. Not only did the abundance of Canadian geese reach a historical low, but their feeding and migratory behavior became unpredictable. Eeyou land users associate such abrupt changes with the massive eelgrass die-off of the late 1990s, the onset of the effects of climate change on coastal habitats experienced since the 1970s, and agricultural development along geese flyways. This manuscript is an outcome of the Eeyou Knowledge component of the Coastal Habitat Comprehensive Research Project (2016–2022) and followed a community-based case study approach that included 28 semi-structured interviews and 14 mapping interviews with Eeyou research contributors. The findings presented here underscore the capacity of Indigenous knowledge to make sense of the multifaceted impacts of environmental change across various dimensions and layers of their social-ecological system, including management strategies and values.

Eco-print Batik: Eco-Friendly Products of Green Business based on Indigenous Knowledge in Bantul

Indonesia has diversity culture, one of them is batik. One of Indonesian batik is eco-print batik in Bantul, Yogyakarta. It is a type of batik that made by using utilizes natural dyes from leaf, root or stem dyes that are placed on a piece of fabric. Eco-print batik is an eco-friendly product and is based on the potential and local knowledge of the local community. Therefore, the objectives of this research are: (1) to explain the existence of eco-print batik in Bantul, Yogyakarta; (2) to explain the process of making eco-print batik in Bantul that eco-friendly products of green business; (3) to identify and strengthen the concept of eco-friendly products of green business based on indigenous knowledge by the case of eco-print batik in Bantul. The research method is qualitative with an ethnographic approach. The data are collected by participatory observation (directly observing the process of making eco-print batik), in-depth interviews, documentation, and document studies on eco-products, especially eco-print batik. The informant of this research are the eco-print batik crafters. Then, the data are analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model analysis. The results of this research, are: (1) eco-print batik is a technique of applying leaves or flowers on a fabric to produce certain (natural) motifs. It was introduced in Indonesia around 2016 and easily accepted by Indonesian textile crafters because Indonesia has strong roots in the tradition of natural dyeing and textile arts (batik process). In 2018, eco-print is increasingly gaining attention and popularity, especially for one of the batik crafters in Bantul with a workshop space, namely Sogga Batik. (2) The process of making eco-print batik uses several techniques, such as pounding, leaf fermentation, and steaming techniques. From the three techniques, Yanti Sogga in Bantul prefers the steaming technique because the resulting color is strong and long lasting. The process is not too long. Moreover, the materials used (input), the process, the product (output), and marketing method in eco-print batik are very eco-friendly because these concern about environmental sustainability. (3) The concept of eco-friendly products of green business based on indigenous knowledge by the case of eco-print batik in Bantul is being the novelty concept, namely the “indigenous eco-friendly product” by strengthening and combining Sommer’s green business components, ILO’s green business elements, and 3R method (go green concept) with indigenous knowledge perspective.

Eco-print Batik: Eco-Friendly Products of Green Business based on Indigenous Knowledge in Bantul

Indonesia has diversity culture, one of them is batik. One of Indonesian batik is eco-print batik in Bantul, Yogyakarta. It is a type of batik that made by using utilizes natural dyes from leaf, root or stem dyes that are placed on a piece of fabric. Eco-print batik is an eco-friendly product and is based on the potential and local knowledge of the local community. Therefore, the objectives of this research are: (1) to explain the existence of eco-print batik in Bantul, Yogyakarta; (2) to explain the process of making eco-print batik in Bantul that eco-friendly products of green business; (3) to identify and strengthen the concept of eco-friendly products of green business based on indigenous knowledge by the case of eco-print batik in Bantul. The research method is qualitative with an ethnographic approach. The data are collected by participatory observation (directly observing the process of making eco-print batik), in-depth interviews, documentation, and document studies on eco-products, especially eco-print batik. The informant of this research are the eco-print batik crafters. Then, the data are analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model analysis. The results of this research, are: (1) eco-print batik is a technique of applying leaves or flowers on a fabric to produce certain (natural) motifs. It was introduced in Indonesia around 2016 and easily accepted by Indonesian textile crafters because Indonesia has strong roots in the tradition of natural dyeing and textile arts (batik process). In 2018, eco-print is increasingly gaining attention and popularity, especially for one of the batik crafters in Bantul with a workshop space, namely Sogga Batik. (2) The process of making eco-print batik uses several techniques, such as pounding, leaf fermentation, and steaming techniques. From the three techniques, Yanti Sogga in Bantul prefers the steaming technique because the resulting color is strong and long lasting. The process is not too long. Moreover, the materials used (input), the process, the product (output), and marketing method in eco-print batik are very eco-friendly because these concern about environmental sustainability. (3) The concept of eco-friendly products of green business based on indigenous knowledge by the case of eco-print batik in Bantul is being the novelty concept, namely the “indigenous eco-friendly product” by strengthening and combining Sommer’s green business components, ILO’s green business elements, and 3R method (go green concept) with indigenous knowledge perspective.

Multi-species, ecological and climate change temporalities: Opening a dialogue with phenology

Many scholars have argued that climate change is, in part, a problem of time, with ecological, political and social systems thought to be out of sync or mistimed. Discussions of time and environment are often interdisciplinary, necessitating a wide-ranging use of methods and approaches. However, to date there has been practically no direct engagement with the scientific field of phenology, the study of life-cycle timing across species, including plants, animals and insects. In this article, we outline how phenology can offer novel inroads to thinking through temporal relations across species and environments. We suggest that greater engagement with this field will enable scholars working across the humanities and social sciences to incorporate detailed studies of environmental timings which shed light on individual species, as well as wide-ranging species interactions. Following an overview of phenological research from both western scientific and indigenous knowledge perspectives, we report on a scoping exercise looking at where phenology has appeared in environmental humanities literature to date. We then offer an illustration that puts phenological perspectives into conversation with plant studies in order to indicate some of the useful affordances phenological perspectives offer, namely those of comprehending time as co-constructed across species and as flexible and responsive to environmental changes. We conclude by offering a number of further potential connections and suggestions for future research, including calling for more exploration of how environmental humanities approaches might produce critical contributions to phenology in their turn.

Understanding the colonial roots of Indian management thought: An agenda to decolonise and theorise for Indian contexts

Despite several calls to develop indigenous theories to contribute to Indian management knowledge, there has been limited success. There is no well-developed alternate Indian paradigm in management that can sustain a rigorous research programme and be relevant to practice. We argue that the intellectual colonisation of Indian academia due to the prevailing Eurocentrism (and US-centrism) and the use of English as a language for research and dissemination of knowledge are two key reasons underlying this failure. We demonstrate this by illustrating the near absence of scholarly work on Kautilya’s Arthashastra despite its wide acceptance in popular writings in India and its use in management practice. Finally, we suggest strategies to achieve intellectual decolonisation or intellectual freedom to enable scholars to engage with Indian issues and phenomena using indigenous knowledge perspectives and to contribute to an indigenous paradigm that might provide unique insights into managing the Indian way.

Responding to crises: rewilding accounting education for the Anthropocene

PurposeResponding to COVID-19, this conceptual paper uses rewilding to interrupt anthropocentric and human/nature dualist properties of accounting education. Through rewilding accounting education, informed by posthumanist and ecofeminist thought, this paper aims to develop an accounting pedagogy that shapes greater ecocentric narratives. Accounting educators can contribute to addressing crises by evolving new pedagogies that radically transform the education of future accounting professionals.Design/methodology/approachThe authors take a critical stance in analysing the human-centred accounting education model. They explore how this model can be reimagined through rewilding accounting education, resulting in learning interventions that foster an understanding of intrinsic value, complexity of systems and collective disposition with all species and the natural world.FindingsRewilding learning interventions embed an ecocentric approach in accounting curricula design to extend beyond a human focus. Rewilding learning interventions practically explored with application to accounting include learning with and from nature, Indigenous knowledge perspectives, play as a common language and empathy as a dialogical bridge.Social implicationsThe authors present an accounting pedagogy that fosters among accounting students and educators a relational orientation and ecological consciousness that encompasses compassion and openness to others, including non-human species and nature. This will ensure that accounting graduates are better prepared for addressing future crises that stem from our disconnect with nature.Originality/valueThis paper adds to limited research investigating accounting and the Anthropocene. Investigations into the Anthropocene’s human-centred discourse in accounting education are vital to respond adequately to crises. This paper extends social and environmental accounting education literature to encompass less anthropocentric discourse and greater relational learning.

Documenting Indigenous Knowledge to Identify and Understand the Stressors of Muskoxen (<i>Ovibos moschatu</i>s) in Nunavut, Canada

Indigenous knowledge provides valuable information on wildlife health and ecology, contributing to a broader understanding of the patterns and phenomena observed. Muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus), an important species for the subsistence and culture of Inuit communities in the Arctic, are increasingly exposed to diverse stressors linked to rapid climate change and other anthropogenic changes. Identifying and understanding these stressors and their impacts on muskoxen will inform management, health monitoring, and future research. To achieve this understanding, we documented Indigenous knowledge through seven semi-structured small group interviews, each involving two to three purposely chosen muskox harvesters in Kugluktuk, Nunavut, Canada to (1) establish the characteristics of healthy muskoxen, (2) determine the factors considered to impact muskoxen, and (3) understand, from an Indigenous knowledge perspective, the results from a study on the sex, seasonal, and annual patterns of glucocorticoids (described as “stress hormones” for the purposes of the interviews) in muskox hair. Key outcomes include (1) a more holistic understanding of muskox health and what it encompasses, (2) recognition and exploration of a rich One Health perspective expressed by participants around factors influencing muskoxen in a changing world and highlighting the multiple socioecological connections, and (3) a broader comprehension of the glucocorticoid (stress) patterns measured in muskox hair, the various factors that influence them, and their interrelations. This study represents a meaningful advancement in the process of actively involving communities at all steps of the research and highlights the important contributions Indigenous knowledge can offer to the complex field of wildlife endocrinology research.

Appraisal of Trends in Mathematics Education Curriculum: Gender and Indigenous Knowledge Perspectives

This paper is based on analysis of curriculum and experiences generated from mathematics teachers’ educators and desk review of curriculum document.It also focuses the critical appraisal of the curriculum Trends in Mathematics Education on gender and indigenous knowledge perspectivesThiscourse is recently revised and approved by theFaculty of Education for Masters level students of Mathematics Education. This course has been designed and prepared to trace the trends of various aspects of teaching and learning mathematics education. It critically assessedthe social, cultural, and inclusive educational issues and problems including gender and indigenous knowledge (IK) in teaching and learning mathematics practices at different levels from school to the university. The findings of the study shows that in the context of present curriculum Trends in Mathematics Education, there is little bit space for gender and IK but it is not sufficient. The opinion of teachers revels that some of the teachers integrated the issue of gender and IK on pedagogy, assessment and research. We can apply gender responsive pedagogy by inspiring students to make gender-reflections, generate greater equality in the classroom, and stimulate students to become gender-actors in society at large.

Indigenous Knowledge Perspective on Holistic Education and Sustainable Development

The potential for education to engender development and therefore to provide individuals and communities with opportunities to lift themselves out of poverty is, correctly, stressed throughout contemporary development literature (Subtle, 2009). In confronting the many challenges in the planet, humankind sees in education an indispensable asset in its attempt to achieve ideals of peace, freedom and social justice. In Kenya, Ochieng (2012) contends that citizens are highly educated yet the education is academic only given that socially we are probably the world‘s most ignorant group. Ours is an extremely bad education system as innovation systems do not effectively serve critical national needs. This paper points out that the only way we can fix challenges hindering sustainable development of Kenya is by adapting our colonial education system to enable the young citizenry find identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to the community, to the natural world, and to spiritual values. This paper will explore indigenous education systems to interrogate how communities have generally relied on their vast indigenous knowledge and technology to interact with the environment as well as stable coexistence with their immediate environment thus maintaining ecological equilibrium with quality life. Furthermore, the paper will give suggestions that will help educators, policymakers and educational stakeholders to advocate for a holistic system of education that will accelerate Kenya‘s sustainable development and achievement of Vision 2030.

On Country Learning

Colonial successes and the wealth gathered over centuries has benefited many, but it has also situated disregard, denial, and exploitation as primary to the epistemology of development. Thus, colonization is not a past doctrine; its violations and intrusions are embedded systematically in the assumptive framework of modern societies. Regardless of its power, colonialism is just one of many possible genres of social design. From an Indigenous Knowledge perspective, decolonizing social design commences with the interactions that result from building relationships with knowledge outside the human mind because Knowledge lives in Country and has partnered with human designers since the beginning.

A metasynthesis of the complementarity of culturally responsive and inquiry‐based science education in K‐12 settings: Implications for advancing equitable science teaching and learning

AbstractEmploying metasynthesis as a method, this study examined 52 empirical articles on culturally relevant and responsive science education in K‐12 settings to determine the nature and scope of complementarity between culturally responsive and inquiry‐based science practices (i.e., science and engineering practices identified in the National Research Council's Framework for K‐12 Science Education). The findings from this study indicate several areas of complementarity. Most often, the inquiry‐based practices Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information, Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions, and Developing and Using Models were used to advance culturally responsive instruction and assessment. The use and development of models, in particular, allowed students to explore scientific concepts through families’ funds of knowledge and explain content from Western science and Indigenous Knowledge perspectives. Moreover, students frequently Analyzed and Interpreted Data when interrogating science content in sociopolitical consciousness‐raising experiences, such as identifying pollution and asthma incidences in an urban area according to neighborhood location. Specific inquiry‐based practices were underutilized when advancing culturally responsive science instruction, though. For example, Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking and Engaging in Argument from Evidence were infrequently encountered. However, culturally responsive engineering‐related practices were most often connected with these, and thus, represent potential areas for future complementarity, particularly as the United States embraces the Next Generation Science Standards. In considering innovative directions for advancing equitable science education, several possibilities are discussed in light of the findings of this study.© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 54:1143–1173, 2017

A Laboratory Investigation on the Role of Ethylene in Seed Germination from an Indigenous Knowledge Perspective

This article provides ideas for a laboratory investigation into the role of the plant hormone ethylene in seed germination. The role of ethylene is explored from various perspectives, namely from an indigenous knowledge perspective, but also from a botany and economic angle. This article shows how students could test indigenous knowledge claims related to ethylene in the school laboratory.

Rethinking environmental science education from indigenous knowledge perspectives: an experience with a Dene First Nation community

This auto-ethnographic article explores how land-based education might challenge Western environmental science education (ESE) in an Indigenous community. This learning experience was developed from two perspectives: first, land-based educational stories from Dene First Nation community Elders, knowledge holders, teachers, and students; and second, the author’s critical self‐reflections focusing on how land-based education could offer unlearning, rethinking, relearning, and reclaiming ESE. This auto-ethnography provides particular insights into who we are as environmental educators, the challenges in Western ESE, why land-based education matters, why and how a significant move should be made from Western ESE to land-based ESE, and how land-based education offers a bridge between Western and Indigenous education.

Is There a Need for Healing in the Classroom? Exploring Trauma-Informed Education for Aboriginal Mature Students

In this paper, we describe a perplexing pattern of behaviours in mature Aboriginal students in university studies who appear capable of being successful to complete course work, but fail due to incompletion of academic work. Despite numerous strategies to provide students with opportunities for success, these students' behaviours remain perplexing. Considering the prevalence of trauma (accident, violence, suicide) in the Aboriginal population and the intergenerational trauma of the residential school experience, we examine trauma-informed care principles and their adaption to educational systems as a potential strategy to mitigate this problem. A conceptual framework based on an Indigenous knowledge perspective of Four Lodges guides the discussion of this issue.Keywords: mature students; Aboriginal students; intergenerational trauma; residential school; care