DRAFT:
Statement on Indigenous Knowledge

For Consultation

FRENCH

IFLA recognises the vital importance of Indigenous knowledge and knowledge traditions to the Indigenous peoples of the world, and acknowledges the effort to date by the world's Indigenous community to preserve, maintain and protect their continued use.

IFLA understands that Indigenous knowledge traditions are configured in a complex and dynamic relation between the changing universe, the earth and its shifting environment; understands that Indigenous knowledge has evolved from a long history of Indigenous people interacting with these changing elements; and importantly, understands this to be the fundamental basis on which Indigenous identities, histories and futures have continued to evolve.

IFLA acknowledges that Indigenous knowledge traditions have been disrupted throughout history by many external influences and to varying degrees; and understands the need for Indigenous peoples to preserve and maintain existing knowledge traditions, the need to continue its transmission to subsequent generations, and the need to protect against any further erosion of knowledge traditions.

IFLA sees the importance and significance of traditional pathways of Indigenous knowledge traditions, and encourages the work of the international organisations to protect the intellectual and cultural property of Indigenous peoples and to safeguard against further erosion of Indigenous knowledge traditions, and believes similar benefits can be achieved across libraries, archives and information services through the development and implementation of appropriate protocols.

1. Establish Indigenous advisory or reference committees to assist with the development of Indigenous priorities and agendas;
2. Adopt policy positions identifying ways to address the diverse needs of Indigenous peoples as well as the separate needs of the broader community;
3. Encourage the use of intellectual and cultural property principles and protocol guides to ensure the proper protection and use of materials on Indigenous knowledge;
4. Devise and implement programs to collect, preserve and disseminate resources on Indigenous knowledge traditions;
5. Make available and promote information resources which support research and learning about Indigenous knowledge systems;
6. Encourage the involvement of the Indigenous community in the production of educational resources to assist children to understand knowledge traditions and systems, and to appreciate elements that contribute to the Indigenous peoples' sense of identity;
7. Publicize the value, contribution, and importance of Indigenous knowledge, knowledge traditions, and knowledge systems to both non-Indigenous and Indigenous peoples;
8. Urge governments to ensure the exemption from value added taxes of books and other recording media on Indigenous knowledge;
9. Include in annual reports activities, innovations and achievements against policy objectives; and to,
10. Share experiences and progress with colleagues at IFLA conferences.

This draft issued for consultation, February 2004.

Associated documents: