The Value of Indigenous Knowledge in Development Programs Concerning Somali Pastoralists and Their Camels

Abstract

"This manuscript focuses on pairing indigenous knowledge with western research in regards to camel pastoralists in Somalia. This paper examines R. T. Wilson's 'Husbandry and Management' and 'Productivity' chapters in The Camel (1984) and The Camel in Somali Oral Traditions by Axmed Cali Abokar (1987) as part of a development solution.

"Discussion will cover: 1) what constitutes indigenous knowledge; 2) the basic key components of accepted indigenous innovations; 3) why indigenous knowledge is so important to development research; 4) background information on Somalia and Somali Pastoralists; 5) Wilson's husbandry chapter; 6) Abokar's paper on Somali oral traditions; and 7) how the indigenous knowledge found in Abokar's manscript influences Wilson's information in a development situation."