The Place of Indigenous Knowledge Mystem in Mapping and Extraction of Minerals in the Lake Zone of Tanzania

Abstract

The paper assesses the place of Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) in mapping and extraction of minerals in Tanzania. It assumes that the IKS has been a base for identification and extraction of minerals, but very little is known as per current development of science and technology. Data for this paper was collected from artisanal and small-scale gold miners through mixed methods of data collection and analysis. The paper shows that most of the existing artisanal and small-scale fields were first identified by local people in their day-to-day routines and through the use of their IKS. In relation to extraction, IKS is used by both modern large-scale miners and artisanal miners. Because of cultural diversity in the mining centres, there is a likelihood of creating a unique culture of the mining community that will abide by, and share the mining traditions, taboos and norms to other broader, cross-cultural generations instead of inheriting from one generation to the other of the similar ethnic group. It is recommended that ways be found to harmonise IKS with modern mining knowledge systems to enhance growth in the mining sector.