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Paper short abstract:

The San tsî Khoen ǂoaba ǂans Digital Archive showcases an innovative emergent indigenous ontology. The organisation and description of archival contents reflects eight knowledge themes that more accurately represent indigenous knowledge systems and the ambitions of indigenous scholarship.

Paper long abstract:

Developing the San tsî Khoen ǂoaba ǂans Digital Archive highlighted the need for an epistemological shift to restore the integrity of southern African indigenous knowledge systems. This shift was required to bypass the misrepresentation, tokenism, and assimilation challenges arising when analysing indigenous information through the lens of the knowledge system that contributed to its silencing and distortion. The first transformative development was the repatriation of displaced indigenous knowledge residing in the western paradigm. The second was developing an ontology capable of the just representation of indigenous knowledge systems. The epistemological shift to an integrated knowledge ecosystem enabled the foundational development of such an ontology. The emergent ecosystem supports an indigenous ontology by providing two sites of knowing and three knowledge domains. The inclusion of heart knowing alongside rational knowing allows for the inclusion of the degree of complexity and nuance distinguishing indigenous knowledge systems from the western knowledge system. Two of the knowledge domains support the interconnected worldview of humanity contextualised within the natural world. The third domain is the metaphysical world which is uniquely positioned to support the survival and well-being of humanity and the natural world while being apart from it. Archival contents are analysed, organised and thematically described within the context of this integrated knowledge ecosystem. Based on such subject positioning the San tsî Khoen ǂoaba ǂans Digital Archive reflects eight indigenous knowledge themes. In this way the archive provides a more accurate representation of indigenous knowledge systems and its societal contribution.