The Epistemic Status of Indigenous Knowledge: A Socio-epistemological Approach
Risalatul Hukmi
, M. Rodinal Khair Khasri
Faculty of Philosophy, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
risalatulhukmi@ugm.ac.id
Abstract
The notion
of indigenous knowledge has mostly been constructed based on the assumption
that knowledge is actually intertwined with any certain socio-cultural
condition. In that assumption, the social somehow is considered determining how
knowledge is produced and obtained in any society. In other words, the
tenability of knowledge is not measured merely by individual reasoning but
through the question of how some beliefs can be justified by social context.
Hence, the main objective of this paper is to argue that indigenous knowledge
is as valid as scientific knowledge with some conditions, that is its openness
to be falsified. Therefore, the paper argues that the separation between
indigenous knowledge and scientific knowledge is irrelevant.
Keywords
indigenous knowledge, scientific knowledge, social epistemology
References
Agrawal, A. (1995).
Dismantling the divide between indigenous and scientific knowledge. Development
and Change, 26(3), 413–439.
Agrawal, A. (2009). Why
“indigenous” knowledge? Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 39(4),
157–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/03014220909510569
Aikenhead, G. (2016). Postcolonial
theories, bicultural research and wanting the best for Kenyan students. Studies
in Science Education, 52(1), 92–106.
https://doi.org/10.1080/03057267.2014.981376
Aikenhead, G. S., & Ogawa,
M. (2007). Indigenous knowledge and science revisited. Cultural Studies of
Science Education, 2(3), 539–620.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-007-9067-8
Arneld, J., & Maiullari,
P. (2015). Basangiang: Traditional healing through possession among the
Katingan Ngaju of southern Borneo. Borneo Research Bulletin, 46,
221.
Atleo, E. Richard. (2005). Tsawalk
A Nuu-chah-nulth Worldview. Univ of British Columbia Pr.
Bala, A., & Gheverghese
Joseph, G. (2007). Indigenous knowledge and western science: The possibility of
dialogue. Race & Class, 49(1), 39–61. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306396807080067
Berkes, F. (1999). Sacred
ecology: Traditional ecological knowledge and resource management. Taylor
& Francis.
Briggs, C. (2022). “The
Foundation of All Future Researches”: Franz Boas, George Hunt, Native American
Texts, and the Construction of Modernity.
Brush, S. B. (1993).
Indigenous Knowledge of Biological Resources and Intellectual Property Rights:
The Role of Anthropology. American Anthropologist, 95(3),
653–671. https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.1993.95.3.02a00060
Chanza, N., & Wit, A. D.
(2013). EPISTEMOLOGICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR INDIGENOUS
KNOWLEDGE IN CLIMATE SCIENCE. 12.
Drouin-Gagne, M.-E. (2014).
Western and Indigenous sciences: Colonial heritage, epistemological status, and
contribution of a cross-cultural dialogue. Ideas in Ecology and Evolution,
7. https://doi.org/10.4033/iee.2014.7.12.c
Foley, D. (2003). Indigenous
Epistemology and Indigenous Standpoint Theory. Social Alternatives, 22(1),
44–52.
Gadgil, M., Berkes, F., &
Folke, C. (1993). (1993). Indigenous knowledge for biodiversity conservation.
151-156. Ambio, 22(2), 151–156.
Goldman, A. I. (1999). Knowledge
in a social world. Clarendon Press ; Oxford University Press.
Goldman, A. I. (2010). Why
Social Epistemology Is Real Epistemology.
Gratani, M., Butler, J. R. A.,
Royee, F., Valentine, P., Burrows, D., Canendo, W. I., & Anderson, A. S.
(2011). Is Validation of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge a Disrespectful
Process? A Case Study of Traditional Fishing Poisons and Invasive Fish
Management from the Wet Tropics, Australia. Ecology and Society, 16(3),
art25. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04249-160325
Huft, M. J. (1994). Indigenous
peoples and drug discovery research: A question of intellectual property
rights. HeinOnline, 89, 1678.
Macedo, D., Semali, L., &
Kincheloe, J. (1999). Decolonizing indigenous knowledge. In What is
indigenous knowledge: Voices from the academy (pp. 134–176).
Mapara, J. (2009). Indigenous
Knowledge Systems in Zimbabwe: Juxtaposing Postcolonial Theory. The Journal
of Pan African Studies, 3(1), 139–155.
Mazzocchi, F. (2018). Under
What Conditions May Western Science and Indigenous Knowledge Be Jointly Used
and What Does This Really Entail? Insights from a Western Perspectivist Stance.
Social Epistemology, 32(5), 325–337.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02691728.2018.1527412
Moodie, T. (2003). Alternative
ways of knowing – doing justice to non-western intellectual traditions in a
postmodern era. Journal of Education (Kenton Special Edition), 31,
7–24.
Nygren, A. (1999). Local
Knowledge in the Environment–Development Discourse: From dichotomies to
situated knowledges. Critique of Anthropology, 19(3), 267–288.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0308275X9901900304
Robyn, L. (2002). Indigenous
Knowledge and Technology: Creating Environmental Justice in the Twenty-First
Century. The American Indian Quarterly, 26(2), 198–220.
https://doi.org/10.1353/aiq.2003.0028
Rose, M. (2019). Positioning
Indigenous Knowledge. In Positioning Research: Shifting Paradigms, Interdisciplinarity
and Indigeneity. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Sillitoe, P. (2010). Trust in
development: Some implications of knowing in indigenous knowledge. Journal
of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 16(1), 12–30.
Smith, L. T. (2005). Building
a research agenda for indigenous epistemologies and education. Anthropology
& Education Quarterly, 36(1), 93–95.
Smith, L. T. (2021). Decolonizing
methodologies: Research and indigenous peoples (Third edition). Zed Books.
risalatulhukmi@ugm.ac.id
Abstract
The notion
of indigenous knowledge has mostly been constructed based on the assumption
that knowledge is actually intertwined with any certain socio-cultural
condition. In that assumption, the social somehow is considered determining how
knowledge is produced and obtained in any society. In other words, the
tenability of knowledge is not measured merely by individual reasoning but
through the question of how some beliefs can be justified by social context.
Hence, the main objective of this paper is to argue that indigenous knowledge
is as valid as scientific knowledge with some conditions, that is its openness
to be falsified. Therefore, the paper argues that the separation between
indigenous knowledge and scientific knowledge is irrelevant.
Keywords
indigenous knowledge, scientific knowledge, social epistemologyReferences
Agrawal, A. (1995).
Dismantling the divide between indigenous and scientific knowledge. Development
and Change, 26(3), 413–439.
Agrawal, A. (2009). Why
“indigenous” knowledge? Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 39(4),
157–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/03014220909510569
Aikenhead, G. (2016). Postcolonial
theories, bicultural research and wanting the best for Kenyan students. Studies
in Science Education, 52(1), 92–106.
https://doi.org/10.1080/03057267.2014.981376
Aikenhead, G. S., & Ogawa,
M. (2007). Indigenous knowledge and science revisited. Cultural Studies of
Science Education, 2(3), 539–620.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-007-9067-8
Arneld, J., & Maiullari,
P. (2015). Basangiang: Traditional healing through possession among the
Katingan Ngaju of southern Borneo. Borneo Research Bulletin, 46,
221.
Atleo, E. Richard. (2005). Tsawalk
A Nuu-chah-nulth Worldview. Univ of British Columbia Pr.
Bala, A., & Gheverghese
Joseph, G. (2007). Indigenous knowledge and western science: The possibility of
dialogue. Race & Class, 49(1), 39–61. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306396807080067
Berkes, F. (1999). Sacred
ecology: Traditional ecological knowledge and resource management. Taylor
& Francis.
Briggs, C. (2022). “The
Foundation of All Future Researches”: Franz Boas, George Hunt, Native American
Texts, and the Construction of Modernity.
Brush, S. B. (1993).
Indigenous Knowledge of Biological Resources and Intellectual Property Rights:
The Role of Anthropology. American Anthropologist, 95(3),
653–671. https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.1993.95.3.02a00060
Chanza, N., & Wit, A. D.
(2013). EPISTEMOLOGICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR INDIGENOUS
KNOWLEDGE IN CLIMATE SCIENCE. 12.
Drouin-Gagne, M.-E. (2014).
Western and Indigenous sciences: Colonial heritage, epistemological status, and
contribution of a cross-cultural dialogue. Ideas in Ecology and Evolution,
7. https://doi.org/10.4033/iee.2014.7.12.c
Foley, D. (2003). Indigenous
Epistemology and Indigenous Standpoint Theory. Social Alternatives, 22(1),
44–52.
Gadgil, M., Berkes, F., &
Folke, C. (1993). (1993). Indigenous knowledge for biodiversity conservation.
151-156. Ambio, 22(2), 151–156.
Goldman, A. I. (1999). Knowledge
in a social world. Clarendon Press ; Oxford University Press.
Goldman, A. I. (2010). Why
Social Epistemology Is Real Epistemology.
Gratani, M., Butler, J. R. A.,
Royee, F., Valentine, P., Burrows, D., Canendo, W. I., & Anderson, A. S.
(2011). Is Validation of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge a Disrespectful
Process? A Case Study of Traditional Fishing Poisons and Invasive Fish
Management from the Wet Tropics, Australia. Ecology and Society, 16(3),
art25. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04249-160325
Huft, M. J. (1994). Indigenous
peoples and drug discovery research: A question of intellectual property
rights. HeinOnline, 89, 1678.
Macedo, D., Semali, L., &
Kincheloe, J. (1999). Decolonizing indigenous knowledge. In What is
indigenous knowledge: Voices from the academy (pp. 134–176).
Mapara, J. (2009). Indigenous
Knowledge Systems in Zimbabwe: Juxtaposing Postcolonial Theory. The Journal
of Pan African Studies, 3(1), 139–155.
Mazzocchi, F. (2018). Under
What Conditions May Western Science and Indigenous Knowledge Be Jointly Used
and What Does This Really Entail? Insights from a Western Perspectivist Stance.
Social Epistemology, 32(5), 325–337.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02691728.2018.1527412
Moodie, T. (2003). Alternative
ways of knowing – doing justice to non-western intellectual traditions in a
postmodern era. Journal of Education (Kenton Special Edition), 31,
7–24.
Nygren, A. (1999). Local
Knowledge in the Environment–Development Discourse: From dichotomies to
situated knowledges. Critique of Anthropology, 19(3), 267–288.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0308275X9901900304
Robyn, L. (2002). Indigenous
Knowledge and Technology: Creating Environmental Justice in the Twenty-First
Century. The American Indian Quarterly, 26(2), 198–220.
https://doi.org/10.1353/aiq.2003.0028
Rose, M. (2019). Positioning
Indigenous Knowledge. In Positioning Research: Shifting Paradigms, Interdisciplinarity
and Indigeneity. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Sillitoe, P. (2010). Trust in
development: Some implications of knowing in indigenous knowledge. Journal
of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 16(1), 12–30.
Smith, L. T. (2005). Building
a research agenda for indigenous epistemologies and education. Anthropology
& Education Quarterly, 36(1), 93–95.
