Indigenous Knowledge: Contours for a Science of the Folk Community

Abstract

To uncover the indigenous in our souls is the work of decolonization. But even as we decolonize, it is not enough; it is merely a beginning. The work must continue to deepen until the body, mind, and soul, become one.-Leny Mendoza-Strobel (2010)The Philippines have a complex history. Aspects of Indian, Arabic and Chinese culture spread to the early indigenous kingdoms of the Philippine archipelago, which were colonized by the Spanish in 1565, followed by the United States in 1898. The colonizers thought Native peoples had no civilization, so indigenous knowledge was relegated to the category of 'superstition. ' National independence came in 1946 and, with it, a globalized business culture, which also disregarded indigenous knowledge. Finally, the recovery of indigenous heritage is now seen as vital, so that we may understand the full richness of our national identity. My own specialization is Philippine Studies, where history and anthropology intersect. I find that a strategy for recovering indigenous knowledge is to engage with the abundant culture of our ancestors. My heritage is Kapampangan, an Austronesian farming and fishing people of central Luzon, and Holy Angel University, where I am a professor, lies in the heartland of Kapampangan territory, which is felicitous for my research. Our university hosts the first program of big-history in the Philippines, so this is where Indigenous Knowledge and Big History intersect.Humanity's interaction with the environment has greatly influenced our worldviews. One of our most important cultural systems is knowledge acquisition. According to UNESCO's program on Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems, indigenous knowledge is a mosaic of understandings, skills and philosophies that have been shaped by local communities through their interaction with Nature and resulted in many deep-time narratives. 1 Indigenous knowledge stands in stark contrast to the global knowledge system that has been created by universities, research institutes, and private business. In a vernacular sense, indigenous knowledge is local -specific to a particular society. As a society's information base, it serves as a foundation for decision-making. Other terms used in ethnoscience to describe it are folk knowledge and peoples science. 2 Based on deep awareness of the local environment, indigenous knowledge grows over many generations. It comes from inside the community and is imbedded in its way of life, as a means of survival. It often utilizes a non-formal mode of transmission, is collectively owned, and subject to adaptation. As Kenji Yamada, a specialist in East-Asian science history, wrote: 'Every culture and every society has its own science, and its function is sustaining its mother society and culture. ' 3