Landee Longsworth

Ms. Lisa Ramirez

BADM 350
March 15, 2015
Acceptance of African Indigenous Knowledge

Mr. Anthony Ogungbure, author of the article African Indigenous Knowledge:

Scientific or Unscientific, and academic advisor in the Department of Philosophy at the
University of Ibadan, in Nigeria, Africa, discusses in his article the causes an assumptions that
create tension between Western and African Indigenous Knowledge. He further discusses a
broaden approach to science and the crucial roles that orality plays in preserving African culture
and knowledge. Mr. Ogungbure strongly argues that African Indigenous Knowledge is a science,
and believes that the western world should regard it as such.
African Indigenous knowledge , according to Mr. Ogungbure, is the systematic body of
knowledge acquired by a local people through the accumulation of experiences and the intimate
understanding of the environment of a given culture. Though many westerners argue that
African Indigenous culture is unscientific, he argues that that is not so. Ogungbure states that
Indigenous knowledge is in fact scientific because it is all forms of knowledge are produced
within a culture; this is what he refers to as the business of knowledge. I strongly agree with
Mr. Ogungbure when he states that we cannot just go by one standard of science (which is
produced in the western world) and say that all forms of knowledge of native people do not have
elements of science because that is not so. It is somewhat ethnocentric of westerners to look
down on Indigenous knowledge systems and consider it unscientific simply because it is

something different than what they are used to. The western world is judging African culture by
its own standards.
In addition, it is the misunderstanding of the concept of science that leads people to the
false dichotomy of what Indigenous Knowledge is explains Mr. Ogungbure. The western world
does not want to grant the status of science to African Indigenous Knowledge and other forms
of Indigenous knowledge , not because it has no element of science, but because it still wants to
be in control of the power of knowledge. The western world really wants to be in control of
everything, and believes that cultures or countries that do not share the same views, values, and
practices like they do are doing things wrong, or that their belief and value system are not worthy
enough. However, Mr. Ogungbure made a great point when he stated that there is no standard
definition of science, and all cultures have their own definition of what science is. Therefore,
simply because western and African definitions of science are different, does not mean that
African Indigenous knowledge is not worthy enough to be considered scientific. Why is it that
one has to be seen as better than the other? I questioned myself what is about the western
understating of science that makes them have the notion that their meaning the better, and why
they feel that because they are the power house of the world that everybody must want to
adopt their belief system.
Furthermore, Mr. Ogungbure mentioned orality and how it is a major aspect of African
culture. Orality is the main way of Africans relaying history from one generation to the next.
However, the western world has critiqued it as being primitive and less effective when it
comes down to preserving culture than written history or writing is. It is this conception of
orality which assists in the western downplaying of Indigenous Knowledge. However, to
Africans Oral tradition is very important, very effective, and to them it has many advantages. I

can understand why Mr. Ogungbure believes that oral tradition best preservers African culture,
because I have noticed that it is the same in Belize. In Belize, just like Africa, songs, proverbs,
and folklore are used to relay history to the younger generations. These methods of relaying
history seem to be much more effective than written history in Belizean culture as well. Many
Belizeans, for example, when asked when was the battle of St. Georges Caye, or what it was
about have to sing the song to answer those two questions. In oral tradition lies nuggets of
knowledge, belief systems that are very deep. Africans believe that there are some deep aspects
of their ontology that are best preserved, and best transmitted orally. They believe that if you try
to transmit it in writing that a lot of things will be lost. Mr. Ogungbure describes African culture
as being very animated and colorful (much like Belizean culture) and that is how they want their
stories and history to be told. He says that reading about their history and their values, and belief
systems just will not have the same effect as it would orally. I strongly agree with him on this
point. For example, think about reading about Hurricane Hatti or the 1931 hurricane and then
think about hearing about them from older relatives- which one do you remember the most?
Watching the emotions of the story teller, the body movements, and listening to the fluctuating
tone of the voice often makes oral history much more interesting, and leaves one wanting to hear
more. So, though African language and history can still be persevered though writing if it is
written in African language, it will not have the same effect as orality. Mr. Ogungbure states that
it is the belief of Africans that if they start writing their beliefs, values, etc. that they will begin to
accept western description and conceptualizations, and stereotypes that will impact the
indigenous forms of knowledge, therefore, they have chosen to stick to orality.
At the end of his article Mr. Ogungbure made an important call to action. He says that
African Indigenous Knowledge needs to be rediscovered because many of it was thrown aside

due to colonialism. Mr. Ogungbures article was very informative and very eye opening. I
believe that Belizeans could really relate to this because much of our history has been passed
down Orally and that there is much pressure for people to learn their history through written
history because it is better and more effective, but every culture is not the same.
Furthermore, simply because every cultures view of knowledge is not synonymous with the
western view does not mean that Indigenous Knowledge systems to be regarded as unscientific
because- like Mr. Ogungbure argues- they in fact are.

References
Ogungbure, A. (2013). African indigenous knowledge: scientific or unscientific? Inkanyiso:
Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Zululand, South Africa, 5
(1), 12- 20.