Indigenous Languages and Indigenous Knowledge in East Africa: Swahili, Kikuyu, and Kamba

In Indigenous Languages and Indigenous Knowledge in East Africa: Swahili, Kikuyu, and Kamba, Esther Mukewa Lisanza and Catherine Ndungo argue that African languages and indigenous knowledge forms are the tools which have made African communities such as Swahili, Kikuyu, and Kamba thrive for generations. Using interviews and research data, this book investigates the following questions: what is the nature and role of multilingualism in East Africa?; what role do herbs and indigenous foods play in Swahili, Kamba, and Kikuyu communities?; how are the communities governed indigenously?; and what is the connection between indigenous languages and knowledge? The findings presented within this study have demonstrated that multilingualism is a great resource in East Africa as many have prided themselves on their multilingual abilities within their education, careers, and cultures. Although these languages have been identified as carriers of indigenous governance, judiciary, and herbal medicine that have survived for generations, Lisanza and Ndungo advocate for policies and education systems to recenter these indigenous languages and their accompanying indigenous knowledge forms and practices once the older generations have passed on.

Table of Contents:
List of Tables Acknowledgments Introduction Part I: East African Languages: The Case of Indigenous Dominant Languages, Indigenous Minority Languages, and Multilingualism Chapter 1: Kiswahili as an Indigenous Dominant Language in East Africa Chapter 2: Kikamba and Gikuyu as Minority Languages in East Africa Chapter 3: Multilingualism in East Africa: Voices of the Youth in Kenya and Tanzania Part II: Herbal Medicine among the Swahili, Gikuyu, and Kamba Chapter 4: Indigenous Medicine Among the Swahili Chapter 5: Herbal Medicine Among the Agikuyu Chapter 6: Akamba Herbal Medicine: No Disease Without Cure Part III: Indigenous Governance and Judiciary Chapter 7: The Kamba Indigenous Governance and Judicial System: The Clan System Chapter 8: Swahili Indigenous Governance and Judiciary: The City-State System Chapter 9: Gikuyu Indigenous Governance and Judicial System: The Age Grade System Conclusion References About the Authors

About the Author :
Esther Mukewa Lisanza is assistant professor in the African Studies Department at Howard University. Catherine Mwihaki Ndungo is associate professor in the Kiswahili and African Languages Department at Kenyatta University.

Review :
Indigenous Languages and Indigenous Knowledge in East Africa: The Case of Kiswahili, Kikuyu, and Kikamba is a rare academic book. This book is quite competitive in this field of research as it has seamlessly managed to put together information on three communities, which is not very common. This book is a major contribution to the interconnectedness between indigenous language, knowledge, and practices, discussing the major issues throughout the three selected communities from East Africa. This approach is unlike other scholarly books within the field which have often focused primarily on one ethnic community. The contributors are quite sober in the discussions and use very socially acceptable language to develop the data they have collected and analyzed. This book can be a source of knowledge for budding scholars and general practitioners and will make very significant contributions to scholarship and research on the issues discussed. This is a very timely and critical book that discusses language, herbal medicine, judiciary, and governance among the Akamba, Kikuyu, and Swahili people—three closely related communities in East Africa. The insights that Esther Mukewa Lisanza and Catherine Mwihaki Ndungo highlight demonstrate how African people managed their affairs effectively. The connection between local languages and indigenous knowledge is well articulated by the authors and justifies why local languages are key in the preservation of Africa’s rich heritage. This book is a much-needed addition to the field of Africa’s indigenous knowledge scholarship. The authors do an excellent job at elevating the often forgotten and marginalized knowledges of African people. This is a must-have book for scholars of indigenous knowledge and any serious reader who wants to understand the critical role that African indigenous knowledge plays and how it is sustained through indigenous languages. This book has uncovered the pivotal role that African languages play in African studies. Colonialism closed the door for African languages to grow in Africa, and now, with this collection of works, Esther Mukewa Lisanza and Catherine Mwihaki Ndungo have ushered in the much-needed wind of hope through that same door.