Indigenous Knowledge System in Craftwork: The Cases of Some Local Furniture Making among the Oromo of Gumay District (Bunno Awraja) to 1991

Abstract

The paper attempts to investigate indigenous knowledge system (IKS) in making traditional furniture by the Craftsmen of the Oromo of Gumay district of Bunno Awraja to 1991.  Like any other indigenous group of people, which are noted for their distinct traditional skill, the Oromo of Gumay have developed IKS in furniture making. Methodologically, the researcher attempted to use both primary and secondary sources. The primary sources are exclusively oral interviews with important informants in the district. Qualitative research method has been used as it suits description and analytical reasoning checking and counter-checking sources against one another. The study shows how indigenous furniture are essential in the daily life of the Oromo of Gumay. Furniture are produced locally from a variety of materials that are available locally and naturally. These include: animals’ horn and skin; soil, stone and rock, minerals, plants, etc.  The study also assesses the contribution of Gumay Oromo’s women in the development of local furniture and the tradition of using some local furniture. However, recently the Gumay people have been overlooking the use of locally made furniture because of the infiltration of alien products of aluminum and plastics that have been mitigating the demand for the usage of locally made furniture.  The study finds out that, though the locally produced furniture are suitable for usage and environmentally friendly, the tradition of making and using some local furniture in Gumay may vanish within a few years owing to this external influence. While few members of the community appreciated the skill of local craftsmen for making local furniture from local resources, the majority however did not. These craftsmen thus have been suffering from prejudice and relative discrimination in the society. They lived in very poor conditions in the community. They were accorded different pejorative designations like tuumtuu for those who produce metal products, duugduu for tanners, anaxiifor wood products workers and etc. More than others, the Derg government is acknowledged for its attempt to change the living conditions of these groups and above all else the prejudice and discrimination against them and craftsmanship of local technology. The researcher recommends that policy that protects local craftsmen and IK in general should be in place to promote local technology that reflects the identity of the Gumay people in particular and the Oromo in general.

Keywords: Indigenous knowledge, local Furniture, tumtuu, dugduu, external influence.

DOI: 10.7176/IKM/14-1-03

Publication date: January 31^st 2024