Elders’ Cultural Knowledges and African Indigeneity

This chapter affirms African Indigeneity as a powerful decolonial stance to investigate the possibilities of African Indigenous knowledges. It is opined that the question of African Indigeneity is beyond contestation. What is needed is to advance counter Indigenous epistemological traditions that legitimize African Indigenous knowledge systems as important sources of “knowledge truths” and of epistemic value in the academy. This stance demands a continuing questioning of the universality of Western science through anti-colonial and decolonial prisms. The discussion highlights West African Elders’ cultural knowledge and the pedagogic, instructional and communicative relevance for schooling and education. Increasingly, we are witnessing a growing chorus of subaltern and sub-intern voices calling for the recuperation and uncovering of local cultural knowledges (e.g., Elders’ teachings) about our environments, Land, social justice, equity, and youth leadership. This is the very essence of decolonization (see also Assie-Lumumba 2016; Biraimah in International Review of Education 62: 45–62, 2016; Brock-Utne in International Journal of Peace Studies 8 (2): 67–87, 2003 and Education and Society 33 (2): 5–24, 2015; Ndlovu-Gathsheni in History Compass 13 (10): 485–496, 2015). The term “Elder” is a generative concept. It describes the identity and status of a particular community adult—one who is revered and respected as having lead good and exemplary lives, an embodiment of local wisdom and knowledge, and having the role and responsibility to transmit their accumulated wisdom and knowledge through teachings, and mentorship of young learners. The paper enthuses that African Indigeneity and education can be explored further by looking at the ways local communities utilize Elders’ cultural knowledge in the socialization of youth.