Title: INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS AND ETHNOMATHEMATICS Mogege Mosimege Department of Science and Technology Pretoria, South Africa mogege.mosimege@dst.gov.za Presentation made in the Panel on ‘IKS and Ethnomathematics’ at the ICEM 3 Conference, Langham
1(No Transcript)
2INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS AND
ETHNOMATHEMATICS Mogege Mosimege Department of
Science and TechnologyPretoria, South
Africa mogege.mosimege_at_dst.gov.zaPresentation
made in the Panel on IKS and Ethnomathematics
at the ICEM 3 Conference, Langham Hotel,
Auckland, New Zealand, 13 February 2006
3HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS WITH RESPECT TO
INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS (IKS) IN SOUTH
AFRICA AUDITS AND WORKSHOPS
- 1996 Meeting between Chairperson of Arts,
Culture, Science and Technology Portfolio
Committee and Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR) Executive - October 1996 January 1997 Pilot of Indigenous
technologies Audit at University of The North
(now University of Limpopo Turfloop Campus) - February 1997 Workshop at UNIN Decision to
conduct a national Audit - March 1997 December 1998 Audit conducted by
following Universities (i) University of Venda
(ii) University of North West (now the Mafikeng
Campus of the North West University (iii) Vista
University Mamelodi (now the Mamelodi Campus of
the University of Pretoria) (iv) UNISA (v)
University of the North Qwaqwa Campus (now
Qwaqwa Campus of the University of the Free State
(vi) University of Zululand (vii) University of
Transkei (now Walter Sisulu University) (viii)
University of Fort Hare - January December 1998 Provincial Workshops
conducted by each University - First National Workshop on IKS at University of
North West September 1998 (jointly organized by
the Portfolio Committee, DACST, and the CSIR
Supported by other stakeholders)
4LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE AUDIT
- Extent and depth of knowledge of indigenous and
local people - Marginalization of the knowledge and exclusion of
the knowledge from the mainstream - Lack of recognition and acknowledgement of
knowledge holders - Lack of protection of the knowledge, leading to
exploitation and biopiracy - Misconceptions related to the knowledge
- Role of researchers and research methodologies
cannot remain the same as in other areas of
research - Commitment by government, Science Councils,
Universities, Traditional Leaders, Indigenous
Knowledge Holders and other stakeholders - International role players, especially the role
of pharmaceuticals in collaboration with national
role players
5IKS IN DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (DST)
- Establishment of Ministerial task team to Draft
Legislation and Policy on IKS in 1999 Team
headed by Prof Catherine Odora-Hoppers (based at
the HSRC) - Delegations by Task Team to India and China in
1999 2000 to learn about IKS in the two
countries - Provision of ring-fenced funding to the NRF for
research in IKS since 2000 - Establishment of Unit dedicated to IKS in the
Science and Technology Branch of the Department
of Arts, Culture Science and Technology in 2001
6IKS IN SOUTH AFRICA THE NATIONAL RESEARCH
FOUNDATION (NRF)
- Defines IKS as a complex set of knowledge and
technologies existing and developed around
specific conditions of populations and
communities indigenous to a particular geographic
area (NRF, 2000) - Has established an IKS Research Focus in addition
to the 8 Focus Areas on Distinct South African
Research Opportunities Economic Growth and
International Competitiveness Conservation and
Management of Ecosystems and Biodiversity
Education and the Challenges for Change (Science,
Mathematics and Technology Education is funded
here) Globalization Challenges ICT Sustainable
Livelihoods Unlocking the Future
7NRF IKS FOCUS AREA
- Administers a ring-fenced amount of R10m per
annum which has been provided by the Department
of Science and Technology (DST) since 2000 - At least 400 Research Grants have been awarded
thus far - There are 4 Research Themes Ethnomathematics is
funded in one of the 4 Areas - The production, transmission and utilization of
indigenous knowledge (IK) and technology - The role of IK in nation building (Traditional
Medicine Health Indigenous Food Systems Socio
Cultural Systems Indigenous Languages,
Indigenous notions of Science and Technology
Arts, Crafts and Materials) - IK at the interface with other knowledge systems
- Introducing IKS into the mainstream of education
8INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS SOME DEFINITIONS
- Indigenous knowledge is the local knowledge
knowledge that is unique to a given culture or
society. IK contrasts with the international
knowledge system generated by universities,
research institutions and private firms. It is
the basis for local-level decision making in
agriculture, health care, food preparation,
education, natural-resource management, and a
host of other activities in rural communities.
(Warren, 1991) - Indigenous knowledge is used synonymously with
traditional and local knowledge to
differentiate the knowledge developed by a
community from the international knowledge
systems sometimes called Western system,
generated through universities, government
research centres and private industry. IK refers
to the knowledge of indigenous peoples as well as
any other defined community. (Warren, 1992) - The unique, traditional, local knowledge existing
within and developed around specific conditions
of women and men indigenous to a particular
geographic area. (Louise Grenier, Working with
Indigenous Knowledge. A Guide for Researchers,
International Development Research Centre, 1998)
9INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SOME MORE DEFINITIONS
- An all inclusive knowledge that covers
technologies and practices that have been and are
still used by indigenous and local people for
existence, survival and adaptation in a variety
of environments. Such knowledge is not static but
evolves and changes as it develops, influences
and is influenced by both internal and external
circumstances and interaction with other
knowledge systems. Such knowledge covers contents
and contexts such as agriculture, architecture,
engineering, mathematics, governance and other
social systems and activities, medicinal and
indigenous plant varieties, etc. (Onwu
Mosimege, Indigenous Knowledge Systems and
Science and Technology Education A Dialogue,
African Journal of Research in Mathematics,
Science and Technology Education, V 8, No. 1,
2004)
10IKS POLICY
- Key Policy Drivers 4
- IKS and the National Systems of Education and
Innovation - Stakeholders and Role Players in IKS
- Institutional Framework
- IKS Funding and Principles
- National and International Imperatives
- Role of various Government Departments and the
Intergovernmental Committee on IKS
11KEY POLICY DRIVERS IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT
- Affirmation of African cultural values in the
face of globalisation - Development of the services provided by
Indigenous Knowledge Holders and Practitioners - Contribution of indigenous knowledge to the
economy - Interfacing with other knowledge systems
12SOME MAJOR THEMES IN ETHNOMATHEMATICAL RESEARCH
ANALYSIS FROM STUDIES IN SOUTH AFRICA
- Mural Decorations (dominant in the Mpumalanga
Province) - Indigenous Games
- Beadwork
- Weaving (baskets, mats, knots, pyramids,
hexagons, etc) - Traditional House Building
- Cultural Villages
- Historical Development of Mathematical Concepts
e.g. Counting - Linguistics and Mathematics Indigenous
Languages and Mathematics Education - Cultural Artifacts
- Interface between culture and mathematics
broadly - Daily activities in the context of the
mathematics classroom
13SOUTH AFRICAN SPORTS COMMISSION AND INDIGENOUS
GAMES
- South African Sports Commission (SASC) took the
initiative to revive indigenous games through the
Indigenous Games Project - Formation of a National Structure which involves
all the 9 Provinces - SASC collected 23 indigenous games from the
different regions of South Africa - Published a Booklet on South African Indigenous
Games in 2001 containing 7 of the 23 games - Previous Minister of Sports Ngconde Balfour
launched the Indigenous Games at Basotho Cultural
Village in the Eastern Part of the Free State on
24 February 2001
14SEVEN GAMES LAUNCHED AT BASOTHO CULTURAL VILLAGE
- Dibeke A running ball game
- Kho-Kho A running game
- Ntimo/Kgati A rope-jumping game
- Diketo A coordination game
- Jukskei A target game
- Ncuva/Morula A board game
- Morabaraba A board game
15MORABARABA GAME HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
- South African War Games Union (with Headquarters
in Johannesburg) has been organizing competitions
on the game over a number of years at least 10
years - Have written some historical background on the
game - Doubts about origin of the game, reference is
usually made to an Egyptian origin - Research by Mosimege (2000) indicated that the
elderly Tswana men learnt the game during the
days when they looked after cattle (herdboys)
Interviewed a number elderly men in their 70s - This research disputed strongly some of the rules
as written by the South African War Games Union.
For instance the rules relating to the end of the
game not 2 but 3 cows.
16SOME PERSPECTIVES ON MORABARABA FROM INDIGENOUS
KNOWLEDGE HOLDERS (ELDERS)
- It is neither a boys nor a girls game, both can
play the game - Morabaraba, even though used the most, is
actually a South Sotho name, the name in Setswana
is Mmela - Historically, the game was drawn on a flat stone,
at times on the ground - Measurement and Straightness of lines done
through the bark of a shrub called bokwetse - Estimation and Comparison of lengths of lines
done using the Middle finger and Thumb - Rules of the game A cow does not move on 3 legs,
so the game does not end when 2 tokens are left
but rather when 3 are left
17MORABARABA ON A STONE AT BASOTHO CULTURAL VILLAGE
- QWAQWA
18TEACHER AND LEARNERS PLAYING MORABARABA GAME
19LEARNERS DISCUSSING MORABARABA GAME
20MORUBA HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
- Mancala (Mankala) type games found in many parts
of the world (Broline and Loeb, 1996). - Mancala a generic name given by anthropologists
to refer to a class of various board games
(Ismael ,1997 Odeleye, 1997) - Various names used in different African
countries - - Moruba Limpopo (mostly the North Sotho
speaking parts) Province of South Africa - - Ntchuva, Mpela, Thadji Mozambique
- - Oware Ghana
- - Ayo Nigeria
- - Soro Tanzania
- - Omweso Uganda
21SOME PERSPECTIVES ON MORUBA FROM INDIGENOUS
KNOWLEDGE HOLDERS
- It is predominantly a mens game used during war,
as a result no women played the game as they were
not allowed to go to war men played it the most
when they went to the mines in the Gauteng
Province However in recent days both boys and
girls play the game - Moruba a social activity where men strategised
about a variety of activities and events relating
to men, also shared advise and ideas - Language, Expressions and Terminology used during
the game even signify what happens when war takes
place - Two-Row Version (called Semmeh in Limpopo
Province) very basic in the South of Africa
although dominant in the North of Africa,
Four-Row Version the most dominant version in the
South of Africa - Players have to be extremely capable of quick
calculations to know how many takes are available
at which stage of the game
22PLAYERS PLAYING MORUBA (FOUR-ROW VERSION)IN
MANKWENG TOWNSHIP, LIMPOPO PROVINCE
23STRING FIGURE GAMES (MALEPA) HISTORY AND
BACKGROUND
- The historical record of string figures in Africa
dates back to almost 100 years - Most of this work is found in Alfred Haddons
work of 1906. This work refers to the pastime by
Negro tribes, and most of these coming from
Africa - In the research by Mosimege, reference is made by
the elderly that they used to play Malepa around
the evening fires when they were young. This
would at least be about 100 years ago. - Most of the participants at the workshops I have
attended indicate how they used to play these
when they were young
24SOME PERSPECTIVES ON MALEPA FROM INDIGENOUS
KNOWLEDGE HOLDERS
- Name and meaning of game Even though it is
generally known as Diheke because of the gates
that appear on the string, the appropriate name
is Malepa signifying the complexity of the
manipulation the String as the Gates increase - Making of String from animal skin Even though
all kinds of strings are used today, the elderly
used to make string from the skin of animals
which they would kill as they were herding the
cattle, or even from cattle and sheep skin - Games played around the fire in the evenings
during story telling time by the Grandfathers and
Grandmothers
25LEARNER GIVING A DEMONSTRATION OF STRING FIGURE
GATE 2
26LEARNER GIVING A DEMONSTRATION OF STRING FIGURE
GATE 6
27SOME OF THE RESULTS OF THE STUDIES ON INDIGENOUS
GAMES
- Mathematical knowledge from the analysis of
indigenous games - Performance in specific mathematical concepts
e.g. probability Moruba - Socio-cultural interactions in the mathematics
classroom during the play of games - Acknowledgement and empowerment of learners
through the use of indigenous games - Relations between indigenous games and
mathematics classroom activities - Knowledge of games by the elders and elderly and
knowledge holders and the implications for
mathematics education - History and Transportation of indigenous games
and the impact of globalization - Written records and verification processes of
indigenous games - Similarities and Differences in indigenous games
across different countries - Research Methodologies and Analytical Frameworks
that may be used in the studies on Indigenous
Games
28ROLE OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE HOLDERS (ELDERS) IN
ETHNOMATHEMATICAL STUDIES
- Their wealth of knowledge may be used to verify
and correct the records that already exist, which
at times may be incorrect - They must not only serve as our source of
knowledge and research material, but should as
many times as possible and as far as possible,
allow their voices to be heard - They must be acknowledged correctly and
appropriately (Contribution to making their
knowledge eradicate their poverty)