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Paper short abstract

This study aims to determine whether folklore plays a role in maintaining epistemic justice for indigenous communities dealing with climate change. The African water snake motif is used as example to show how folklore elements can simultaneously function in various different epistemic system layers.

Paper long abstract

Indigenous African communities may possess rich knowledge about the natural environment, but this contribution is often undervalued in scientific circles, leading to a reduction in the ability of vulnerable communities to respond to the climate crisis. The purpose of this study is to determine whether folklore can play a role in maintaining epistemic justice for indigenous communities, in the context of collaborative climate change adaptation. In particular, the aim is to investigate the integration of folklore elements into religious ground motives, worldviews, paradigms, theories and practices of communities when dealing with climate change. Methodologically, different types of epistemic (eg. testimonial-, hermeneutical- and distributive-) injustice are analyzed to determine the challenges that communities face when integrating folklore in collaborative adaptation efforts. The African water snake motif is used as example to show how folklore elements can simultaneously function in various different epistemic system layers, such as pre-theoretical and theoretical beliefs. This is important because real adaptation to climate change is a collaborative effort that sometimes have to occur across seemingly incommensurable epistemic systems, for instance indigenous- and scientific knowledge systems. Secondly, real adaptation to climate change sometimes require deep worldviewish changes of the ways in which we understand nature. The contribution of this study is unique because it enables a more holistic approach to climate change adaptation efforts in indigenous communities. Furthermore, the incorporation of folklore in this manner gives relevance to folklore studies in addressing climate change as one of the most pressing concerns for our planet.