Indigenous knowledge

Indigenous knowledge, often referred to as traditional knowledge in the literature, defines „knowledge about medicinal or other useful properties of biological diversity that has often existed for generations in a particular community or communities and is part of the cultural identity of these groups“ (von Hahn 2004:,7 f.). The word indigenous derives from the Latin indu- „one“ and -genus „born“ (cf. Duden Online). Thus, when put together, indigenous stands for native. A uniform and, above all, legal definition of the areas over which indigenous knowledge extends and the rights associated with its use is not known. Nevertheless, it basically concerns the areas of „healing, agriculture, religion, rites and much more“ (Deacon 2012).

Anchored in tradition – a cycle

Indigenous knowledge is considered a traditional body of knowledge that indigenous peoples have accumulated for decades through observation and experience. It plays an important role in everyday life and especially in activities, as it can influence decisions as a collection of knowledge (cf. ibid., 11). This process is comparable to a cycle, in that the knowledge learned is passed on again and again to the following generations (cf. Homann 2005, 24). The form of continuous transmission favors the dissemination and also the adaptation of what has been learned. The main reason for this is that the transmission is largely oral and the content can be changed with the help of language (cf. von Hahn 2004, 9).

According to the constructivist approach, traditional knowledge, like the general knowledge of an individual, is constantly changing and is regarded as a flexible construct. Existing environmental conditions take influence so that it is adapted to the respective conditions. Consequently, indigenous knowledge is not a rigid entity, but a changeable concept that can exist over several centuries, but always retains some of its original form.

The „preservation of cultural integrity“ (ibid.) is the aspiration of indigenous peoples. Because of its mutability, it is necessary that a certain amount of tradition be preserved and protected. „Traditional knowledge is tied to a specific geographic and cultural context, so that knowledge cannot be readily harnessed outside of the particular community“ (ibid., 14). Being geographically bound to a way of life and at the same time to a location has the consequence that indigenous knowledge becomes of limited applicability or even unusable. A considerable part of such knowledge is located among indigenous peoples groups, who are mostly minorities in a population. They have a close relationship with their environment.

Position in the population

Indigenous knowledge represents a collection of traditional knowledge for the general population, which is becoming increasingly important, especially in the pharmaceutical industry. Similarly, this carries over into other areas. Besides the benefits for the general population, there are nevertheless problems for the indigenous communities. They do not have the possibility to patent their knowledge, which means that it cannot be considered as a restricted knowledge good and can lead to exploitation.

Literature

Deacon, Harriet (2012): Rediscovering history – intangible cultural heritage in South Africa.

URL: http://www.goethe.de/ins/za/prj/wom/inw/deindex.htm [02 AUG. 2019].

Dudenredaktion (o. J.): ‚indigenous‘ on Duden online. https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/indigen#herkunft [06.08.2019].

Hahn, Anja von (2004): Traditional knowledge of indigenous and local communities between intellectual property rights and the „public domain“. Contributions to foreign public law and international law 170. Berlin/ Heidelberg: Springer.

Homann, Sabine (2005): Indigenous knowledge of Borana pastoralists in natural resource management: a case study from southern Ethiopia. Göttingen: Cuvillier.