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TRACK: KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS
MINITRACK: Cultural/Indigenous Knowledge
Impacts on Knowledge Systems, an Intersection of Beliefs


This minitrack solicits manuscripts that present research or conceptual
frameworks that focus on the use of cultural or indigenous knowledge in
knowledge systems used to address the below listed topics (or other topics).
Cultural knowledge is that knowledge particular to a subgroup of a population.
For example in a diverse culture such as the United States there are many sub-
cultures with their own knowledge such as ethnic groups, activity focus groups
(such as rappers or skate boarders), or other groups formed on some
demographic premise. Indigenous knowledge focuses on that knowledge,
frequently contained in oral systems, that has evolved over the time that Native
Peoples have inhabited their homelands. For example, Knowledge Systems of
outsiders are discussed by indigenous peoples in North America such as Native
Americans, First Nations People, and Alaska Natives as 'Western' knowledge.

Indigenous knowledge also applies to rather homogenous populations that
migrated to, and settled in, an area and have remained settled in that area for
generations. Such populations are noted for maintenance of customs, language,
and beliefs that their ancestors brought to the new location. In addition, story-
telling, to convey the customs and beliefs, are a component to these populations,
as they are to more traditionally defined indigenous populations.

Cultural knowledge may be similar to indigenous knowledge but may have a
much shorter history and may be conveyed through its own language and online
communities.
Such knowledge systems are, in many respects, endangered. Cultural groups
may be short lived or if long lived, may be in danger of being sublimated into
larger cultural groups.

Indigenous peoples throughout the world are subject to external events, such as
disease and war, which have annihilated certain populations in the past. In
addition, efforts by outsiders to have the indigenous population assimilated into
their world views frequently resulted in the loss of knowledge. Think of the Library
at Alexandria. Now think of populations with only an oral history and retention of
knowledge. What is lost when the last member of the population is gone?

Potential topics may include (but are not limited to):
Sustainability of cultural/indigenous knowledge
Transfer of cultural/indigenous knowledge (between member and/or outside the
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group)
Technology support for cultural/indigenous knowledge systems
Identification of cultural/indigenous knowledge
Representation of cultural/indigenous knowledge
Elicitation and capture of cultural/indigenous knowledge
Case studies of cultural/indigenous knowledge groups and/or systems
Using social media to capture and convey cultural/indigenous knowledge
Conflicts with cultural/indigenous knowledge (between members, between
those in the group and those outside the group)
Issues in transferring and using cultural/indigenous knowledge by non-members
Issues (such as retirement, extinction, and/or sublimation) causing the loss of
cultural/indigenous knowledge
Value of cultural/indigenous knowledge
Understanding and using religion and/or spirituality in the capture and use of
cultural/indigenous knowledge
Ontology and taxonomy of cultural/indigenous knowledge
Member identification of cultural/indigenous knowledge groups
Intellectual Property rights associated with cultural/indigenous knowledge
Risk management of cultural/indigenous knowledge
Societal impacts from cultural/indigenous knowledge
Lifecycles of cultural/indigenous knowledge
Nomological nets associated with cultural/indigenous knowledge
Application of cultural/indigenous knowledge to nontraditional uses
Non-traditional solutions to managing cultural/indigenous knowledge

Minitrack Leaders

Nilmini Wickramasinghe
Epworth Chair Health Information Management
RMIT University, Australia
email: nilmini.wickramasinghe@rmit.edu.au

* In Memory*
Ken Trimmer (Primary Contact)
Idaho State University
Email: trimkenn@isu.edu
or trimjoan@isu.edu