Harnessing Local Wisdom: The Role of Gujii Indigenous Environmental Knowledge in Resource Management in Southern...

Indigenous societies have long relied on indigenous environmental knowledge (IEK) to guide their interactions with their surrounding environment. This kind of knowledge is exclusive to a given society and is passed down from elders to their youth through folktales, oral traditions, beliefs, culture, and social and spiritual gatherings. The objective of this study is to assess the role of the indigenous environmental knowledge possessed by the Gujii community in the management of natural resources, as well as to explore the challenges associated with the practical application of this knowledge within the community. The study employed a qualitative research approach. A total of 20 knowledgeable elders were taken as sample respondents by purposive sampling based on their expertise in IEK. Guji people have devised rages of IEK that they have been using for the conservation of natural resource tribulations. This includes spiritual, customary laws and beliefs that they use for forest, wild animal, soil and water management. Customary laws like Gadaa, fear of Woyyuu (sacredness) and Qaalluu are all significantly helping Gujii people in natural resource management. However, there are several challenges reducing the potential utilization of this knowledge. The limited understanding and recognition of IEK among non-indigenous groups obstruct its integration into contemporary resource management systems. Additionally, the absence of systematic documentation creates obstacles in assessing its relevance and effectiveness in current contexts. Currently, these valuable Indigenous and Ethnic Knowledge (IEK) are at risk of being lost due to factors such as religious pressures, modernization, poor documentation, and neglect by educated individuals. Thus, this situation calls for intervention by policymakers and professionals to integrate IEK into a science and technology-driven development framework.