Challenges and Opportunities of Preserving African Indigenous Knowledge Using Digital Technologies: The Case of Bogwera

Introduction

Indigenous knowledge has been part of humanity for centuries. There are many definitions of indigenous knowledge. The description of indigenous knowledge in this chapter will come from two sources. Grey (2014) defines indigenous knowledge as the expressions, practices, beliefs, understanding, insights, and experiences of indigenous groups generated over centuries of profound interaction with a particular territory. According to Sraku-Lartey, Acquah, Brefo, and Djagbletey (2017), indigenous knowledge refers to the traditional knowledge of indigenous people, which is oral and usually transmitted from one generation to another and exists mainly in the mind of local people. This knowledge is generally shared through personal communication and demonstration from tutor to pupil or parents to children (Christian cited in Sraku-Lartey et al., 2017). The iterations and mechanisms of what is considered indigenous knowledge are context-based. Communities worldwide have shared indigenous knowledge from generation to generation about farming, architecture, human behaviour, marriage, childbirth, health care, natural disasters, climate, natural resources, and human relationships. Moreover, many people worldwide still rely on indigenous knowledge as part of their lives. Indigenous knowledge is vital, especially for rural communities, as it signifies the technical, cultural, political, and institutional aspects of knowledge and values systems in these communities (Sillitoe & Marzano, 2009). Some people in rural communities conduct their lives relying on indigenous knowledge. It is also considered the social capital of people experiencing poverty; it is their main asset to invest in the struggle for survival, produce food, provide shelter, and achieve control of their own lives (Senanayake, 2006). Sraku-Lartey et al. (2017) explain that traditional knowledge is an integral part of the culture and history of local communities and hence their common asset in their effort to gain control of their lives. However, most indigenous knowledge systems, practices, and values disappear due to the influence of technology, human migrations, climate change, globalization, death, memory loss, and civilization. Senanayake (2006) states that when indigenous knowledge is lost, the tragedy is felt by those that have developed it and made a living through it. Cassidy, Wilk, Kgathi, Bendsen, Ngwenya, and Mosepele (2011) state that indigenous knowledge systems will disappear if they are no longer used. This is because many traditional practices and activities within indigenous knowledge systems that have been used are essential coping and living strategies and are now in danger of disappearing. These arguments call for measures to protect and preserve indigenous knowledge systems. While methods already exist to salvage the little that is remaining, this chapter intends to look at the role of digital technologies in the endeavor to protect and preserve indigenous knowledge. Existing literature on preserving indigenous knowledge is limited to the challenges faced in preserving African indigenous knowledge using digital technologies, specifically in the context of bogwera. There is also an insufficient investigation into the unique opportunities digital technologies provide for preserving and disseminating African indigenous knowledge, with a focus on bogwera. There is also a limited identification of strategies and best practices for building sustainable repositories and platforms that can effectively safeguard and promote bogwera for future generations.

The chapter aims to fill this gap by investigating how social web technologies, social media platforms, and online video tools can digitize, share, and preserve indigenous knowledge for the current generations that are not knowledgeable about these systems and future generations. With the example of bogwera, the chapter studies digital technologies’ role in protecting and preserving indigenous knowledge systems in Taung. The aim of the chapter was to determined how digital technologies can facilitate the revitalization and intergenerational transmission of bogwera and identity barriers that need to be addressed to achieve this goal. The following research objectives guided the chapter: