Preservation of indigenous knowledge amongst the Hlubi nation through social media technologies

Abstract

Indigenous knowledge (IK), diverse narratives and heritage of marginalised communities in the institutions of memory, such as cultural archives, are inadequate. The lack of diversification and inclusion of the archive result in a risk of information loss and inconsistency in the archive. It is unclear how social media can effectively be used to digitise cultural activities and history of marginalised indigenous communities. The study focused on answering the following research questions: i) What are the challenges faced by indigenous marginalised communities in using social media technologies (SMTs) for the preservation of IK? ii) How can SMTs be used to enhance the preservation of IK? The aim of the study was to explore how the indigenous people can use SMTs to aid the capturing of information about their culture and history for the future and for further representation in the cultural archives. An interpretivist epistemological paradigm was followed. The study used an exploratory methodology. The target population (19) of this study were members of the Hlubi nation organised under the Mthimkhulu Cultural Institute (MCI) based in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Using non-probability sampling, the sample frame comprised members of the community affiliated to MCI. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and the data were analysed using a thematic analysis method. The study followed strict ethics to guarantee that integrity and moral standards were upheld throughout, as mandated by CPUT. The MCI and the research subjects both gave their written consent to participate in the study. The study contributes to existing knowledge on cultural preservation discourse. The study provides information to social scientists and policymakers to better understand how traditional rural marginalised communities can use SMTs in the preservation of their IK, culture and histories. The results indicate that although social media technologies provide the benefits of being able to capture, store and disseminate indigenous knowledge, the findings show that the implementation of SMTs may require major technological and skills development and investment before the benefits of SMTs can be realised by indigenous communities.