The Potential of Turkana Indigenous Knowledge in Environmental Education and Ecotourism Promotion

Abstract

This paper uses data collected for a doctoral dissertation on “Turkana pastoralists’ sociocultural practices in relation to Kenya’s science curriculum” and from research findings of the South Turkana Ecosystem Project (STEP) to demonstrate nomadic people’s knowledge of their environment, wildlife and livestock management. Interviews with Turkana Elders concerning their Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) reveals that Turkana people possess exceptional detailed knowledge of how to detect the presence of water, predict seasonal fluctuations and use local plants. This knowledge is not available in the school curriculum. It should be harnessed and integrated with environmental education in the early childhood and lower primary curriculum of Kenya. Incorporating indigenous knowledge in the school curriculum will ensure that this knowledge is preserved, respected and valued. In Kenya the national education curriculum emphasizes Western forms of knowledge. This paper also argues that early integration of TEK within the Kenyan curriculum will facilitate future Turkana peoples’ ability to engage in ecotourism as a strategy for economic survival