Research Perspectives on Indigenous Knowledge and ICT: A Decolonial Approach

This essay aims to show the results of a bibliographic review of research and experiences on indigenous knowledge and ICT for the 2006-2017 period. The study focused on cases in which ICT was used to preserve, transmit, or manage indigenous knowledge. Although it is true that there are different approaches to the object of study such as ICT used as a means of communication for indigenous groups, such is the case of the indigenous movement on the Internet (Monasterios, 2001), or the use of the Internet to promote their products (http://www.tosepan.com/; http://chiapasproject. com/sp/proyecto- de-escuela/las-mujeres/mujeres-de-maiz/), to cite some examples, this paper does not intend to analyze these approaches. As results, the research revealed the following five trends: the creation of digital cultural content and digital inclusion; preservation of indigenous knowledge; management of indigenous knowledge; indigenous knowledge and ICT in educational processes and design of technological prototypes (software, virtual platforms, and mobile applications) in consonance with the indigenous context. In this last line of research, it was identified that the investigations are oriented towards the adequacy of the design of prototypes to the context, and that they are based on a third emergent paradigm derived from the inquiry referred to the HumanComputer Interaction (HCI): the phenomenological matrix, also known as Digital Ground. It is therefore concluded that the Technological Prototype Design dimension, in accordance with the indigenous context, is the most relevant one since it encompasses the other four dimensions. At the same time, a likely area of development is envisaged from the conjunction of management, education, and ICT; this area is focused on the preservation of indigenous knowledge that would empower indigenous communities. Besides, the results of the review indicate that research on indigenous knowledge and ICT is mostly developed in Africa; it is still incipient in Latin America. Therefore, there is a need to pay for this type of study to contribute to the research and understanding of the indigenous knowledge systems and their strengthening by using ICT.