It was observed that, when troubled with much sickness, Tonga people would generally go back to traditional plant-based medicine. Grenier (1998) adds that indigenous people with historical continuity of resource use practices often possess a broad knowledge base of the behaviour of complex ecological systems in their abilities. To this effect, bill boards are displayed in all main gateways to this area. Chikwanha, V.T., 2011, ‘The role of indigenous knowledge in management of forest resources in Mugabe Area, Masvingo.
As such, it is demanded that only naturally dried parts of the plant should be extracted for firewood. The mean annual temperature varies between 18 ºC and 20 °C. /FontDescriptor 4 0 R Furthermore, birds such as Tumba (owls) are regarded as ‘birds of bad omen’. /Subtype /TrueType knowledge and practices in the area of environmental management and conservation. 9 0 obj /LastChar 121
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United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2013, A Survey of rural household response to sanitation uptake in selected regions of Zambia, UNICEF, Lusaka. Moreover, some plant species were not used as firewood because they were believed to instigate family conflicts. Besides, some of the seeds having been thoroughly mixed with ash are deposited in an airtight container which is then kept in a cool room until planting time. According to Lssozi (2012), African communities have rich environmental cultures which can be understood by listening to their myths, taboos, stories, proverbs and beliefs and also by observing their symbols and rituals. & Vickery, B.C., 2007, God’s family, God’s earth: Christian ecological ethics of Ubuntu, John Wiley & Sons, Washington, DC. It was revealed that the plants can transform poor soils into fertile ones in the long run. /MissingWidth 278 /LastChar 116 The study was basically ethnographic in nature, which took 15 years. Culture plays a significant role in conserving the environment. :9��s�O�S�i�� /FontName /Arial The data for the study were gathered using unstructured observations and semi-structured interviews.
/A <> /FontBBox [-517 -325 1082 998] /Widths [ 278 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 333 333 0 0 278 333
To begin, I think it’s worth noting a key difference between Western and Indigenous resource management practices: Indigenous practices have been tested and refined over millennia, Western practices in North America go back less than 500 years.
/Type /FontDescriptor /FontName /Arial,Bold Also, some creepers are cut at harvesting and then planted in gardens to be watered till the subsequent season.
endobj Besides, intercropping could be credited for the Tonga region (southern Province of Zambia) being least in terms of hunger in the country despite being drought prone. The highest annual average temperature is 32 ºC and the lowest average temperature is 4 ºC (Aregheore 2010). /Type /FontDescriptor According to the Central Statistical Office (2016), the Tonga are the chief producers of Zambia’s core food crops. /CreationDate (D:20071017170146+01'00') /Subtype /TrueType Bolster indigenous and community conserved areas (ICCAs). /OSInfo (vis: 148; ver: 5.1; bn: 00000a28; platf: 2; CDS: Service Pack 2) Berkwits, M. & Inui, S.T., 1998, ‘Making use of qualitative research techniques’, Journal of General Internal Medicine 13(3), 195–199. Ayong, F.M., 2007, ‘Environmental awareness and management in Pre-Colonial Zimbabwe’, Journal of Geographic Research 2(1), 98–111. h�27R0P07V01Q07Q042S���w�/�+Q04���L)��(���T�~HeA�~@bzj��\�T�X�!�4�h��@(S��E�@]� ˃��h Get specific, domain-collection newsletters detailing the latest CPD courses, scholarly research and call-for-papers in your field. /FirstChar 48 /StemV 77
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, They also serve as wind breakers and minimise the impact of storms on their crops. Similarly, amongst the Tonga, it is forbidden to wash clothes near water collection points. Also the fact that intercropping conserves the soil, reduces pests and increases crop yield, was revealed. 0 0 0 0 222 333 333 0 0 1000]>> In addition, they conserve vegetation along riverbanks. In-depth probing amongst the elderly respondents indicated the underlying rationale of the prohibition as being that permitting pregnant women freedom to consume eggs would probably lead to the extinction of fowls such as chickens as pregnant women tend to be very obsessed with certain nice foods, eggs inclusive. /Subtype /TrueType
1�b��H#��FC� �` &�8�
/BaseFont /TimesNewRoman,Italic /Ascent 891 /AvgWidth 441 /BaseFont /Arial,Bold It is believed that contempt to this prohibition attracts severe sanctions from the deity who owns the stream (Obiora & Emeka 2015). 278 278 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 278 278 0 0
Ngara (2013) had a similar finding in Botswana that grass for thatching traditional houses is harvested in winter because by that time seeds are ripe enough to fall off for growth in the rainy season. Their knowledge in conservation greatly contributes to the understanding of the links within the forest ecosystem, hence being invaluable for planning and management purposes (Ayong 2007; Lssozi 2012). This should guide environmental educators and conservationist on how to inspire people for conservation. 278 0 0 556 556 0 0 0 0 0 0 556 278 0 0 0 /MaxWidth 1042 5 0 obj Moreover, Lochnivar National Park that boasts of having the highest number of bird species in the world is also situated in the Tongaland (Kaoma 2010). endobj 21 0 obj /CapHeight 716 Besides, early burning prevents soil erosion and ensures that the period for reduced pasture for their livestock is reasonably short to the early rains. /Flags 32
/XHeight 519 Further observations discovered that the Tonga culture prohibits pregnant women from eating eggs. /CapHeight 716 The article concludes that governments, policymakers and environmentalists need to give the conservation strategies employed by indigenous people the prominence they deserve for environmental sustainability. A qualitative research design was used in the study. The Ba’Aka pygmies of Central Africa represent a good case of indigenous people’s involvement in environmental sustainability.
722 0 667 0 722 667 611 722 667 944 0 0 0 0 0 0 endobj Kaoma (2010) further reveals that the Tonga people are amongst the leading promoters of the concept of ‘going back to Eden’. endobj 0 0 0 0 222]>> This knowledge encompasses norms, a system of classification of natural resources, empirical observations about the local environment and a system of self-management that governs resource use. << This is notwithstanding the fact that much of the land is cleared of forests for agricultural purposes. 0 0 0 722 722 722 722 667 611 778 722 278 0 722 611 833 Therefore, conservationists should ensure that they incorporate indigenous people’s practices in environmental conservation. As such, some sections of the Tonga propagate seeds of these weeds on their land to improve soil fertility. /Ascent 905
In his long stay and participation in agriculture amongst the Tonga people, the researcher witnessed widespread use of livestock manure to sustain land. /AvgWidth 401 In the observation of the author, and indeed through the testimony of most of the elderly respondents, the best of the grain seeds are preserved by hanging or stacking them in the roof of the kitchen where smoke acts as grain preservative against pests. /StemV 78 Essentially, amongst the Igbos of Nigeria, there are taboos associated with some rivers and forests to safeguard them from pollution, abuse and exploitation (Obiora & Emeka 2015). 0 0 0 667 667 722 722 667 611 778 0 278 0 0 556 833 /Type /Annot From the above discussion, it can be deduced that food value of a tree is one of the factors that inspires conservation. /AvgWidth 600 /BaseFont /Symbol In addition, most farmers having demolished anthills apply the soils in their fields to add nutrients. /FontDescriptor 6 0 R /ItalicAngle -12 /Subtype /TrueType
/Leading 150
Also, it helps maintain the viability of the land for nutrient availability (Kanene 2015). << Consequently, much of the maize exported by the country either comes from Tongaland or is produced by this ethnic group in many areas of the country where they are scattered (Kanene 2015). /Ascent 891 hބ��j1�_e����+W�&��+�����o��t)��4�f��J�4�8�`G�����S ��P���<8��0�ȂG�#D]�Q�� ��bp^����\�K��䘿�C~�������y��kݜ��e��>JV�b���~]ojQ���K�(�.
/Type /Font Interviews were specifically conducted to seek explanation on general topics that he identified as he mingled with the community. /StemV 78 Burning often occurs in the evening when the wind speed has generally subsided for easier fire management. Culturally, such birds are never eaten, leading to their high population. Also the attribution of sacredness and prohibition to defecate close to water sources, keeping river catchment areas vegetated and avoiding having crop fields close to water sources have been used to conserve water.
>>
Most of the elderly people pointed out that the presence of such trees indicates fertile soils; therefore, they are either maintained or planted. Zimbabwe’, Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa 13(3), 132–141. Thematic analysis was employed for data analysis and the results of the study are presented in descriptive form.
The researcher viewed this approach as having less interference with the people’s lives as alluded to by Crabtree and Miller (1992). /StemH 78 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The study found that for plant-root-based medicine, only parts of the roots should be cut from the plants.
180 0 obj <>stream /Type /Annot /StemV 78 Usually, the water sources are perceived as habitats of gods such that some tend to be upgraded into shrines. /MissingWidth 278 The study found that killing scavenger birds is a taboo amongst the Tonga.
A year before crops are planted, the field is ploughed without planting anything on it.
0 0 0 0 0 500 0 444 500 444 278 0 0 278 0 0 /LastChar 57 Hens, L., 2006, Indigenous knowledge on biodiversity conservation and management in Ghana, Journal of Human Ecology 20(1), 21–30.
_IB Likewise, amongst the Marakwets, Lssozi (2012) found that it was a taboo to wash in or near a water source. There is also strict observation of moral order amongst traditional societies whereby people observe some ecological ethics such as not to defecate near streams where drinking water is fetched. This section reveals findings about how Tongas practice sustainable agriculture. In the same manner, Mapira (2013) notes that totemism reduced hunting and gathering of some edible fauna and flora. << Customary laws mandate users to keep lakes, rivers and other water sources pure as they are regarded as dwelling place of gods (Cooper & Palmer 1998; Lssozi 2012). endobj Wild fruit trees have been preserved by sparing them when clearing vegetation for various development purposes. /Widths [ 250 0 500 500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 667 0 0 667 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 /XHeight 519 Therefore, there is an intimate relationship between the totem and the clan to the extent that the clan does not eat, kill or trap these animals (Hens 2006). Therefore, the aim of this study was to unveil the practices and experiences that have enabled the Tonga people to live sustainably in their local biophysical environment for several years. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.1998.00054.x. Ngara, R.M., 2013, ‘Indigenous systems and the conservation of natural resources in the Shongwe Community in Gokwe District, Zimbabwe’, International Journal of Asian Social Science 3(2), 23–32. The researcher observed that within the same field it was common to find at least three different crops. /Descent -212
/FirstChar 46 According to Osunade (1994), these practices not only protect water catchment areas but also serve as measures for minimising flooding and soil erosion. <<
As such, it is demanded that only naturally dried parts of the plant should be extracted for firewood. The mean annual temperature varies between 18 ºC and 20 °C. /FontDescriptor 4 0 R Furthermore, birds such as Tumba (owls) are regarded as ‘birds of bad omen’. /Subtype /TrueType knowledge and practices in the area of environmental management and conservation. 9 0 obj /LastChar 121
17 0 obj 611 611 611 0 389 556 333 611 556 778 0 556 500 0 0 0
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2013, A Survey of rural household response to sanitation uptake in selected regions of Zambia, UNICEF, Lusaka. Moreover, some plant species were not used as firewood because they were believed to instigate family conflicts. Besides, some of the seeds having been thoroughly mixed with ash are deposited in an airtight container which is then kept in a cool room until planting time. According to Lssozi (2012), African communities have rich environmental cultures which can be understood by listening to their myths, taboos, stories, proverbs and beliefs and also by observing their symbols and rituals. & Vickery, B.C., 2007, God’s family, God’s earth: Christian ecological ethics of Ubuntu, John Wiley & Sons, Washington, DC. It was revealed that the plants can transform poor soils into fertile ones in the long run. /MissingWidth 278 /LastChar 116 The study was basically ethnographic in nature, which took 15 years. Culture plays a significant role in conserving the environment. :9��s�O�S�i�� /FontName /Arial The data for the study were gathered using unstructured observations and semi-structured interviews.
/A <> /FontBBox [-517 -325 1082 998] /Widths [ 278 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 333 333 0 0 278 333
To begin, I think it’s worth noting a key difference between Western and Indigenous resource management practices: Indigenous practices have been tested and refined over millennia, Western practices in North America go back less than 500 years.
/Type /FontDescriptor /FontName /Arial,Bold Also, some creepers are cut at harvesting and then planted in gardens to be watered till the subsequent season.
endobj Besides, intercropping could be credited for the Tonga region (southern Province of Zambia) being least in terms of hunger in the country despite being drought prone. The highest annual average temperature is 32 ºC and the lowest average temperature is 4 ºC (Aregheore 2010). /Type /FontDescriptor According to the Central Statistical Office (2016), the Tonga are the chief producers of Zambia’s core food crops. /CreationDate (D:20071017170146+01'00') /Subtype /TrueType Bolster indigenous and community conserved areas (ICCAs). /OSInfo (vis: 148; ver: 5.1; bn: 00000a28; platf: 2; CDS: Service Pack 2) Berkwits, M. & Inui, S.T., 1998, ‘Making use of qualitative research techniques’, Journal of General Internal Medicine 13(3), 195–199. Ayong, F.M., 2007, ‘Environmental awareness and management in Pre-Colonial Zimbabwe’, Journal of Geographic Research 2(1), 98–111. h�27R0P07V01Q07Q042S���w�/�+Q04���L)��(���T�~HeA�~@bzj��\�T�X�!�4�h��@(S��E�@]� ˃��h Get specific, domain-collection newsletters detailing the latest CPD courses, scholarly research and call-for-papers in your field. /FirstChar 48 /StemV 77
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, They also serve as wind breakers and minimise the impact of storms on their crops. Similarly, amongst the Tonga, it is forbidden to wash clothes near water collection points. Also the fact that intercropping conserves the soil, reduces pests and increases crop yield, was revealed. 0 0 0 0 222 333 333 0 0 1000]>> In addition, they conserve vegetation along riverbanks. In-depth probing amongst the elderly respondents indicated the underlying rationale of the prohibition as being that permitting pregnant women freedom to consume eggs would probably lead to the extinction of fowls such as chickens as pregnant women tend to be very obsessed with certain nice foods, eggs inclusive. /Subtype /TrueType
1�b��H#��FC� �` &�8�
/BaseFont /TimesNewRoman,Italic /Ascent 891 /AvgWidth 441 /BaseFont /Arial,Bold It is believed that contempt to this prohibition attracts severe sanctions from the deity who owns the stream (Obiora & Emeka 2015). 278 278 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 278 278 0 0
Ngara (2013) had a similar finding in Botswana that grass for thatching traditional houses is harvested in winter because by that time seeds are ripe enough to fall off for growth in the rainy season. Their knowledge in conservation greatly contributes to the understanding of the links within the forest ecosystem, hence being invaluable for planning and management purposes (Ayong 2007; Lssozi 2012). This should guide environmental educators and conservationist on how to inspire people for conservation. 278 0 0 556 556 0 0 0 0 0 0 556 278 0 0 0 /MaxWidth 1042 5 0 obj Moreover, Lochnivar National Park that boasts of having the highest number of bird species in the world is also situated in the Tongaland (Kaoma 2010). endobj 21 0 obj /CapHeight 716 Besides, early burning prevents soil erosion and ensures that the period for reduced pasture for their livestock is reasonably short to the early rains. /Flags 32
/XHeight 519 Further observations discovered that the Tonga culture prohibits pregnant women from eating eggs. /CapHeight 716 The article concludes that governments, policymakers and environmentalists need to give the conservation strategies employed by indigenous people the prominence they deserve for environmental sustainability. A qualitative research design was used in the study. The Ba’Aka pygmies of Central Africa represent a good case of indigenous people’s involvement in environmental sustainability.
722 0 667 0 722 667 611 722 667 944 0 0 0 0 0 0 endobj Kaoma (2010) further reveals that the Tonga people are amongst the leading promoters of the concept of ‘going back to Eden’. endobj 0 0 0 0 222]>> This knowledge encompasses norms, a system of classification of natural resources, empirical observations about the local environment and a system of self-management that governs resource use. << This is notwithstanding the fact that much of the land is cleared of forests for agricultural purposes. 0 0 0 722 722 722 722 667 611 778 722 278 0 722 611 833 Therefore, conservationists should ensure that they incorporate indigenous people’s practices in environmental conservation. As such, some sections of the Tonga propagate seeds of these weeds on their land to improve soil fertility. /Ascent 905
In his long stay and participation in agriculture amongst the Tonga people, the researcher witnessed widespread use of livestock manure to sustain land. /AvgWidth 401 In the observation of the author, and indeed through the testimony of most of the elderly respondents, the best of the grain seeds are preserved by hanging or stacking them in the roof of the kitchen where smoke acts as grain preservative against pests. /StemV 78 Essentially, amongst the Igbos of Nigeria, there are taboos associated with some rivers and forests to safeguard them from pollution, abuse and exploitation (Obiora & Emeka 2015). 0 0 0 667 667 722 722 667 611 778 0 278 0 0 556 833 /Type /Annot From the above discussion, it can be deduced that food value of a tree is one of the factors that inspires conservation. /AvgWidth 600 /BaseFont /Symbol In addition, most farmers having demolished anthills apply the soils in their fields to add nutrients. /FontDescriptor 6 0 R /ItalicAngle -12 /Subtype /TrueType
/Leading 150
Also, it helps maintain the viability of the land for nutrient availability (Kanene 2015). << Consequently, much of the maize exported by the country either comes from Tongaland or is produced by this ethnic group in many areas of the country where they are scattered (Kanene 2015). /Ascent 891 hބ��j1�_e����+W�&��+�����o��t)��4�f��J�4�8�`G�����S ��P���<8��0�ȂG�#D]�Q�� ��bp^����\�K��䘿�C~�������y��kݜ��e��>JV�b���~]ojQ���K�(�.
/Type /Font Interviews were specifically conducted to seek explanation on general topics that he identified as he mingled with the community. /StemV 78 Burning often occurs in the evening when the wind speed has generally subsided for easier fire management. Culturally, such birds are never eaten, leading to their high population. Also the attribution of sacredness and prohibition to defecate close to water sources, keeping river catchment areas vegetated and avoiding having crop fields close to water sources have been used to conserve water.
>>
Most of the elderly people pointed out that the presence of such trees indicates fertile soils; therefore, they are either maintained or planted. Zimbabwe’, Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa 13(3), 132–141. Thematic analysis was employed for data analysis and the results of the study are presented in descriptive form.
The researcher viewed this approach as having less interference with the people’s lives as alluded to by Crabtree and Miller (1992). /StemH 78 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The study found that for plant-root-based medicine, only parts of the roots should be cut from the plants.
180 0 obj <>stream /Type /Annot /StemV 78 Usually, the water sources are perceived as habitats of gods such that some tend to be upgraded into shrines. /MissingWidth 278 The study found that killing scavenger birds is a taboo amongst the Tonga.
A year before crops are planted, the field is ploughed without planting anything on it.
0 0 0 0 0 500 0 444 500 444 278 0 0 278 0 0 /LastChar 57 Hens, L., 2006, Indigenous knowledge on biodiversity conservation and management in Ghana, Journal of Human Ecology 20(1), 21–30.
_IB Likewise, amongst the Marakwets, Lssozi (2012) found that it was a taboo to wash in or near a water source. There is also strict observation of moral order amongst traditional societies whereby people observe some ecological ethics such as not to defecate near streams where drinking water is fetched. This section reveals findings about how Tongas practice sustainable agriculture. In the same manner, Mapira (2013) notes that totemism reduced hunting and gathering of some edible fauna and flora. << Customary laws mandate users to keep lakes, rivers and other water sources pure as they are regarded as dwelling place of gods (Cooper & Palmer 1998; Lssozi 2012). endobj Wild fruit trees have been preserved by sparing them when clearing vegetation for various development purposes. /Widths [ 250 0 500 500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 667 0 0 667 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 /XHeight 519 Therefore, there is an intimate relationship between the totem and the clan to the extent that the clan does not eat, kill or trap these animals (Hens 2006). Therefore, the aim of this study was to unveil the practices and experiences that have enabled the Tonga people to live sustainably in their local biophysical environment for several years. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.1998.00054.x. Ngara, R.M., 2013, ‘Indigenous systems and the conservation of natural resources in the Shongwe Community in Gokwe District, Zimbabwe’, International Journal of Asian Social Science 3(2), 23–32. The researcher observed that within the same field it was common to find at least three different crops. /Descent -212
/FirstChar 46 According to Osunade (1994), these practices not only protect water catchment areas but also serve as measures for minimising flooding and soil erosion. <<