The effects of the eviction of the Batwa from their Indigenous Forest habitat on their Indigenous Education System

Abstract

The main objective of this article is to identify the Batwa Indigenous education pedagogy and examine how it was affected by the relocation of the Batwa from their forest habitat into the dominant Bakiga and Bafumbira society. Using Indigenous research methodology and relational sampling method, 240 participants comprising elders, parents, and pupils from Kisoro and Rubanda districts were recruited. Data were collected using the FGD method also known as talking circles and analysed using three thematic areas by the Atlas-ti qualitative software. The participants identified the importance of their oral tradition with a focus on storytelling, art, artifacts, songs, dance; and experiential learning as the two main pedagogies for the transmission of Batwa customs and culture. The participants also reported that these methods of transmitting customs, culture, knowledge and skills to Batwa children are inoperable in their current living conditions. This suggests that the relocation of the Batwa from their forest habitat disrupted the conditions that facilitated cultural education among the Batwa, making it untenable in their current living conditions. We recommend the integration of Batwa Indigenous pedagogies and the creation of conditions for their application in the formal education system. This will enable the transmission of Batwa customs and culture to Batwa children, thereby preserving the identity of the Batwa and the sustainability of their culture.