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Indigenous knowledge is widely recognized today as a rich source of information on ecosys- tems and their management; on biodiversity in general and the identity, characteristics and uses
of specific plants and animals; on food and medicinal substances, and on healing; even on hydrol- ogy, geology and mineralogy. It is thus vulnerable to exploitation, as evidenced by the numerous
cases which have been brought to the attention of the World Intellectual Property Organization in which individual researchers and corporations have appropriated information from indig-
enous peoples regarding seeds and medicinal substances. Aside from these cases of what is now referred to as bio-piracy, there have been numerous instances in which corporations engaged in
natural resource extraction have used information from indigenous peoples to locate water and mineral deposits, and dispossess the very communities that told them about these resources.
5. Traditional education
Indigenous knowledge is transmitted through a system of learning that can be described as a lifelong pedagogical process and an inter-generational transfer of knowledge aimed at main-
taining a flourishing and harmonious society or community. Children from a young age receive guidance from older members of the community to prepare them for life and their responsibili-
ties towards society. An important aim of inter-generational transfer of knowledge is to ensure that community members enjoy adequate economic security in an environment of socio-cultural
and political stability.
Traditional education is achieved through the principles of participatory learning, holistic growth, nurturance and mutual trust.
Participatory learning requires the community member to be fully engaged in the learning process, through exposure and observation, dialogue and practice. Except for certain specialized
knowledge and skills, children from an early age are exposed to the different types of life-skill ac- tivities in the community. For example, parents bring their children along when they work their
fields and teach the children what they need to learn about farming, relevant to their age.
Holistic growth involves education not only in skills but also in the community’s ideals and perspectives in developing its own spiritual, ethical, political, juridical, natural resource manage-
ment, livelihood and health systems. Thus, in indigenous communities, children also learn from an early age beliefs, values and customary laws expressed through encouragement or prohibi-
tion of actions or activities.
Repetitive application and practice are central to learning oral traditions pertaining to the community’s spiritual and ethical beliefs, collective knowledge of its environment, history, cus-
tomary laws, its members’ relationships and commitments to one another, and its relationships and commitments to other communities.
Specific traditional activities and occupations that require a high degree of discipline and un- derstanding, such as spiritual healing, “herbal” medicine and various crafts, are learned through
apprenticeship. The apprentice would stay with his or her master until he or she develops the knowledge and skills required to practice on his or her own. For example, in Sabah, Malaysia, the
bobohizan or priestess undergoes about seven years of apprenticeship before she becomes pro- ficient in officiating ceremonies. Besides those skills and techniques learned from their teachers,
apprentices may also acquire further knowledge through self-study, or independent exploration and discovery, and revelations.
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Ideally, education is conducted in a spirit of nurturance and mutual trust between teachers and learners. As it is a life-long process, there are no barriers such as age limit, time frames, or
grading.
While persisting in their traditional forms of teaching and learning, indigenous peoples have availed of mainstream educational services. And they have invested tremendous efforts in get-
ting their learning materials and mechanisms integrated into mainstream or formal education systems.
Mainstream education systems involve instruction from pre-school to tertiary-level insti- tutions and the training of instructors. These are usually guided by a standard set of curricula
provided by ministries or departments of education, based on state policies. Adult education has also become common in many countries and takes on many forms, ranging from formal class-
based learning to self-directed learning.
The inclusion of indigenous ways of learning, teaching and training has been important in ensuring that students and instructors are able to benefit from education in a culturally sensi-
tive manner that draws upon, utilizes and enhances awareness of indigenous knowledge. For indigenous learners and teachers, the inclusion of these methods often results in greater educa-
tional effectiveness because it provides an interphase with indigenous peoples’ experiences and worldview. For non-indigenous students and teachers, education using such methods promotes
awareness of the traditions and collective experiences of indigenous peoples, thereby generating greater respect for and appreciation of other cultural realities.
In terms of educational content, indigenous educators, organizations and parents have been working with various institutions to include indigenous peoples’ history and indigenous knowl-
edge within curricula, course books, textbooks and learning aids. The inclusion of these pro- motes respect for indigenous peoples’ experience and culture.
6. Access to mainstream education, information and mass media
As indicated above, the mainstreaming of indigenous learning mechanisms and materials would not only promote multi-culturalism in society but also make formal education a more
fruitful experience for indigenous people. It would thus help states and non-state educational institutions to guarantee indigenous peoples’ right of access to knowledge.
Access to non-traditional, non-indigenous knowledge is critical at this point in the develop- ment of indigenous communities, given the numerous issues and options they must reckon with.
Adequate knowledge and understanding of these issues and options is crucial to their enjoyment of their right to free, prior, informed consent, and thus to their exercise of self-determination.
Indigenous peoples also have the right of access to means of communicating their views on the said issues and options to the public. They should thus be afforded space in the mass media,
as well as opportunities and training in the special skills required for the development of their own print and broadcast media outfits.
Affording indigenous peoples opportunities to create their own space in the mass media would, further, give them the chance to project their own experiences, situation and culture
without the misrepresentations or distortions that the mainstream media have been prone to making.
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