Indigenous Ways of Creating Environmental Awareness
Case Study from Berekum Traditional Area of Ghana
Keywords:
Berekum Traditional Area, worldview, cosmovision, ritual, Afahye, Yerepra Yadee, Mmebuo, indigenous ecological knowledgeAbstract
The people of Berekum Traditional Area, Brong Ahafo region, Ghana, use their religio-cultural practices to instil and impart traditional ecologi-cal knowledge to their youth. Qualitative methodology research identified the main means by which indigenous ecological knowledge is transmitted to students: proverbs, myths, folktales, and rituals. There is evidence that indigenous methods of imparting ecological knowledge and thereby dealing with environmental problems are facing some chal-lenges that appear to have interfered with their effectiveness. These challenges may be attributed to a change in the people’s worldview resulting from cultural contact and modernity. The findings indicate that indigenous ecological knowledge is a potential resource that can complement scientific means of dealing with the region’s environmental problems.
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