The Role of Archives in Preserving Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Zimbabwe: Is (Re)inventing Themselves the Answer?

Abstract

The management of indigenous knowledge (IK) should take a centre stage in the archive. However, archivists in Zimbabwe do not seem to be seriously concerned with preserving IK. Their disposition is largely influenced by their notion of an archive based on the Western epistemologies that dominated their training as archivists. IK was only considered for preservation if it complemented the written “official record”. Archivists need to change that mindset and reinvent archival practices in order to play a prominent role in the preservation of IK.

Keywords: Archives, Indigenous Knowledge, Orientation of Archivists, Zimbabwe