Imran Abdullah

There is a growing awareness of indigenous issues around the world, but few still view with respect and appreciation the indigenous knowledge wealth that many of their cultures have been erased or completely destroyed, including their languages ​​and sciences since the age of geographical exploration and the colonization of the "New World" in the Americas and Australia.

While historians admire the admiration of Christopher Columbus's four transatlantic journeys as an exploratory work that opened the New World and led to European colonization of the Americas since the end of the 15th century, the atrocities that accompanied this exploration, such as the enslavement of indigenous people in their quest for gold and subjugation, are not highlighted. The brutality of the Taino people led to their extinction, including the loss of a tremendous cultural heritage of indigenous knowledge.

Columbus left Spanish Castile in August 1492 with three ships, and after a stopover in the Canary Islands, the Americas arrived on 12 October (celebrated as Columbus Day, also known as the State of Colombia) and landed in one of the Bahamas - known from He accepted its indigenous people as Guanahani - before returning to Castile in early 1493, bringing with him a number of prisoners, and his discoveries soon spread throughout Europe.

The Traditions of Columbus
Arawak residents helped Columbus and his crew when they met in their native areas, where they lived in the West Indies and the Caribbean, and brought to Columbus and his crew food, water and gifts, but responded to their generosity by mocking their "ignorance." He then enslaved them and demanded that they lead him to the sources of gold, and his men proceeded to commit atrocities against them.

Spanish colonists mocked Arawak in search of gold, ruining their traditional way of life, before they became extinct from the Caribbean by the mid-16th century.

The myths of the European colonial inhabitants of the New World included describing indigenous peoples and Red Indians as ignorant, culturally and socially backward, indigenous people were labeled as stupid, primitive and non-aligned, while Columbus's supposed contributions to science, commerce and exploration were celebrated.

In her report, Lu argues that there is still a lack of respect for indigenous language and traditional knowledge based on the widespread belief that it does not contribute anything real to the development of human knowledge, the arts, science and technology, but hides the bias and ignores the great value of traditional knowledge.

This view ignores the importance of folklore and considers it anecdotal and non-scientific content, ignoring the information being conveyed. The report finds that there is a wealth of knowledge and knowledge of indigenous peoples that have long been circulated in their own language, including their way of understanding the world.

Indigenous knowledge
With environmental problems, increasing global warming, declining biodiversity and a decline in rare flora and fauna around the world, indigenous knowledge is increasingly important due to the sensitivity of the supernatural communities, yet this important knowledge and gains seem threatened with extinction with the loss of their heritage and the transformation of indigenous languages. Languages ​​are increasingly threatened with extinction.

“Why do we respect and trust the work of researchers and scientists while not doing so for traditional knowledge when it comes to the same conclusions?” Lou explains in her report, referring to a new approach to integrating indigenous knowledge into the scientific and academic institution as an increasing number of researchers are becoming aware of the value of different ways of practicing science and knowledge. .

Indigenous traditional knowledge provides a more holistic and contextual view through various methods of observation and thinking, not just experimentation and specialization. Examples of such knowledge are techniques currently used in agriculture and health, including traditional medicine originating in the Indian subcontinent known as “Ayurveda” and acupuncture, which has become known. Very right now.

Native language and cultures
In his book, "Indigenous Science," American academic Tiwa Kajeti argues that "indigenous science" is born out of living partnership with nature, and constitutes a legacy of human experience with the natural world by borrowing the range of processes of perception, thinking, representation and recognition that have evolved with the human experience. Oral stories of the teaching of science, although not serious enough and not scientific enough by many.

There is more than one way to record knowledge and more to participate in scientific explorations and observations, just as there is more than one way to frame our reality and experience in different languages.

Understanding natural phenomena interferes with language, and it is easy to misinterpret the metaphorical language of indigenous cultures if researchers typically view indigenous people as "completely different", "unscientific" or "primitive".

In short, there are many ways to see the world, including the contribution of indigenous cultures that have developed their own languages ​​and concepts to tell people about their knowledge, but neglecting them and treating them as worthless makes us lose important knowledge that has evolved over thousands of years.