Resurgence, Reclamation, and Preservation of South African Indigenous Knowledge Systems: Using the Past to Look to the Future

Abstract

Despite being regarded as the most significant resource for indigenous indigenous people and their communities worldwide, the loss of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) has put these these most marginalised communities under a great deal of stress. Research has demonstrated that an unquantifiable amount of IKS is fading away since the beginning of the 20th century. The erosion and marginalization of IKS is the direct result of Westernization and colonization, all accompanies by the racist and colonial policies. The concern over the loss of this irreplaceable knowledge has thus raised a need to recover, reclaim and preserve it in the modern society. This chapter utilised literature review to critically analyse the resurgence and reclamation of IKS practices for the benefit of indigenous communities, the role of modern technologies in the recovery and preservation of IKS, the decolonial approaches for the revitalization and revaluation of IKS. Sociocultural learning theory and modernization theory were also used as underpinning theories to guide the study.