The Role of Information Technologies in Indigenous Knowledge Management.

The article presents information on the role of information technologies in indigenous knowledge management. More and more communities and organisations around the world are realising the value and significance of indigenous knowledge and the importance of preserving it for future generations. Indigenous Knowledge Centres (IKCs) are being established globally, but particularly in Australia, Africa, Latin America and Asia. The capture and preservation of indigenous knowledge is being used to revitalise endangered cultures, improve the economic independence and sustainability of indigenous communities and to increase community-based involvement in planning and development. Many indigenous communities are developing local indigenous knowledge bases either informally or within IKCs established specifically for this task. The digital content being assembled and presented within these IKCs is either captured locally, donated or repatriated from external private and public collections belonging to museums, church archives, community members, anthropologists, missionaries, and others.