Abstract

Vincent Itai Tanyanyiwa*

Although they are disappearing due to globalisation and cultural homogenisation, indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) are the foundation of science. IKS is a unique, cumulative body of knowledge related to the natural environment of a specific geographic area developed by people over generations through experimentation, history of experiences and observations embedded in culture, spirituality and world views . Different words know IKS; indigenous technical knowledge, ethnoscience, local, traditional, people's science, village science . Words function in a field of association., the mental image associated with the word. The images may be positive or negative. Thus the terms indigenous, traditional, folk, village or local tend to have negative connotations like static, conservative or backward. IKS are part of Africa’s heritage, have survived the test from Western views. Instead, IKS has renewed interest due to their dignity, potential solutions to challenges and source of pride.