Indigenous Scholarship Themes

Social Integrity

All scholarship describing the legacy of the oppression of indigenous people and the impact thereof in current affairs is assigned this thematic heading. Also included under this heading is the scholarship aimed at restoring social integrity after its disruption by colonialism and the social injustices resulting from oppression and exploitation. Work assigned to this heading is not limited to restoring the social integrity of indigenous communities encompassing humanity at large.

Ways of Knowing

Indigenous knowledge has a wider scope and a greater complexity than is available within the focus of western academic knowledge. This heading is assigned to scholarship that defines and describes this wider aspect of indigenous knowledge systems. The aim of this scholarship is to give voice to these other ways of accessing and gaining knowledge and its complexities that have been silenced and removed from mainstream knowledge.

Language

Language revitalization and restoration is an important aspect of indigenous knowledge management. Scholarship aiming at preserving what remains of the indigenous languages of Southern Africa and aiming at restoring lost languages for the use of current and future generations is assigned this thematic heading.

Indigenous Ancestry and Legacy Stories

History and the context of indigenous people can often be distorted by perspectives informed by the relations of power dynamics. The experiences of contemporary oppression and exploitation are the ongoing legacies of injustices suffered by indigenous people for generations. Scholarship assigned to this thematic heading aims to correct the distortion and misrepresentation that leads to the oppression, exploitation, and marginalisation of indigenous people and their knowledge systems.

Relations with the Metaphysical World

The metaphysical world is a vital component of indigenous knowledge systems and the resultant indigenous ways of life. Scholarship here include describing this world and its impact on the natural world and humanity and describing the communicative interface between humanity and the metaphysical world.

Relations with the Natural World

All scholarship aimed at undoing the exploitative relationship between humanity and the natural world is assigned this thematic heading. Also assigned this label is all scholarship that addresses the complexities inherent in humanity's relationship with the natural world and describes the land as an archive or site of knowing.

Human Health and Wellbeing

This aspect of scholarship encompasses an indigenous perspective on matters related to human health and wellbeing. It aims at contributing to a greater experience of life fulfilment across generations.

Repatriated Knowledge

This is not a theme of indigenous scholarship rather it is a label assigned to the repatriation of indigenous knowledge produced outside of indigenous and decolonial perspectives. Repatriated knowledge is the label assigned to archival items that reflect the colonial understanding of indigenous people and their knowledge systems and languages. The archive is an inclusive space and incorporates all perspectives and representations of indigeneity even when this is perceived as inaccurate and unjust. This label will primarily be assigned to items in the digital library collection within the archive. Indigenous scholarship may or may not be developed to provide a more representative understanding than provided in these materials.

Due to the colonial orientation of items assigned this label it has an ethical disclaimer associated with it available on the Ethical Disclaimer page.