Revitalize the Roots Initiative: Preserving Indigenous Knowledge Systems of the Endorois Tribe

With indigenous peoples making up less than 6% of the world’s population, indigenous communities protect over 85% of the world’s biodiversity. In order to unite on the climate change efforts, we must prioritize documenting and protecting traditional knowledge. 

According to the IPCC report, the world now understands that some of the best-preserved natural systems are protected through indigenous practices in the conservation debate.

Global Wisdom Collective and Jamii Asilia Centre are partnering to preserve the indigenous knowledge of the Endorois Tribe in Kenya, alongside the indigenous youth. Our project will be multiphased, with the first phase of preserving the indigenous knowledge of 15 elders starting in 2023. 

We are currently fundraising to perform our community assessment and preservation of indigenous knowledge of 60 elders. This project will work with 120 indigenous youth to empower and equip the next generation to safeguard their cultural heritage and be part of valuable recorded intergenerational dialogues with their elders. 

The Endorois People were forcibly evicted from their ancestral land in the early 1970’s by the government of Kenya; it has been a long journey to reclaim the land and to obtain reparations. 

The Endorois people face the threat of assimilation and complete destruction of cultural and traditional knowledge which dates back many millennia. This tribe traces its original roots to the beginning of humanity on the African continent.

By protecting and preserving this community, we are protecting the cultural heritage of a group of people that we cannot afford to lose.

Please join us in protecting key sacred ecological and cultural knowledge and be part of preventing cultural extinction. To learn more, please visit Bikaptorois page.