Indigenous Language Analysis

Moreover, “To stress the importance of indigenous knowledge as a tool for decolonization, researchers need to appreciate the complexity of the structures of colonialism and its neo-colonial forms” (Akena2012:603). The language of the West was organized as a conveyer of views, philosophies, and ideas to deny African peoples the right to define and express themselves and their feelings in their own language(Ntuli 2002:53). In situations where the overriding education system of the West favours the prevailing languages, individual viewpoints, and principles of struggle, ‘neoliberalism’, ‘mangerialism’ and ‘individual recognition’ “rather than indigenous languages and arts, principles of collective thought, and practices that are foundational

Simply recording words or images fails to capture the whole context and meanings of songs, rituals, arts or scientific and medical wisdom. This also underscores the central role of indigenous peoples ' own language, through which each peoples’ heritage has traditionally been recorded and transmitted from generation to generation (Battiste and Henderson 1949: 21) with emphasis )

The central role played by the indigenous language in order to record, documented and transmitted the indigenous knowledge of the people is vital. Hence “Indigenous knowledge could also be used to teach language, recount history, reclaim humanity and dignity, and promote a sense of self-consciousness and cultural identity in learners. This is critical, as people are people because of culture” (Mawere2015:630). Indigenous peoples, especially elders, believe that without language we have lost our culture and the essence of who we are. Language is the most fundamental way that cultural information is communicated and preserved, especially in those that until recently did not use written expressions. Language 's important relationship to knowledge and the survival of a culture requires that any discussion of Indigenous Knowledge Systems must include language retention (Settee 2008:2).

Hence, the approach of decolonization help the indigenous people and others to educate themselves in manner that respect their culture and identity (Elizabeth2013:332) and it makes the educated ones “productive citizens of the world guided by such values as love, respect, honesty, humility, courage, wisdom, and compassion in order to live in harmony with Mother Earth and all her children”